futatsu boshi
by pengiechan
Summary: Sequel to negai. Hubert prepares to fulfill his wish, but hesitates to act. A night in the deserts of Strahta will change everything - for better or for worse. A story about the importance of family. HubertxPascal, complete.
1. gold

**author's note: **"futatsu boshi," or "a pair of stars," is the last planned installment in my three part series of HubertxPascal fics. I say "planned" because my brain likes to do crazy things sometimes, and I'm already writing random drabbles and other pieces that take place during the same timeline.

This is the first chapter of three and is set six months after "negai." Not a lot of romance in here, but it's the setup for something good, I promise. I would appreciate any critique of dialogue anyone could offer because I spent quite a bit of time writing two characters I'm not familiar with _and_ one of my own creation. Raymond and Marian just don't talk enough in-game for me to hear them in my head the way I do Hubert and Pascal. But anyway, any comments are always appreciated, no matter what they have to say. I'll be following up with the next two chapters soon.

Title is taken from the CHARCOAL FILTER song of the same name; chapter titles inspired by Owl City. Arnauld is my own creation and I wish I could draw because in my head he is a TOTAL QT. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**futatsu boshi**  
part one - _gold_

* * *

In the nation of Strahta, February was an unexpectedly beautiful month. While Windor found itself covered in snow and Fendel's citizens braced against a bonechilling cold, the usually hot cities of Yu Liberte, Oul Raye, and Sable Izolle grew cool and comfortable. Their clear, sunny days and mid-range temperatures attracted tourists, vacationers, and even residents who were otherwise reluctant to venture outside in the other months. This difference was especially appreciated by one Hubert Oswell, whose birthday fell on a date in early February. Hubert had experienced his first few winters in Lhant, more often than not shivering outside in the snow as his older brother cavorted about and made lopsided snowmen. In Strahta, his birthday had always been on a temperate day - and though it had not been celebrated, he had always made a point of enjoying the beautiful weather.

Hubert's nineteenth birthday had come and gone with as much fanfare as he could have expected. Pascal had baked a clumsy attempt at a birthday cake, and although it had proven inedible, the gesture had been appreciated. A few of the men in his unit had known of the date, and had wished him their best in passing. He had pretended to be annoyed, at first, but their kindness had been too much to ignore. And he had received a letter from Asbel and Cheria, whose wedding he had attended only a few days before, wishing him well as he grew a year older. There had been no parties, no loud celebrations - but he hadn't wanted them, hadn't felt any urge to turn the day into anything more than it had been. He had been happy enough sitting outside on that evening, perched on the roof of his rented home, enjoying the cool night with Pascal by his side.

Since that day, he had scarcely had time to breathe, much less enjoy the weather. There was a major military operation going on in the desert, and the task had fallen to him to command it. With foot traffic resuming between all three nations, Dylan Paradine had sought to resolve complaints that the monsters in the deserts surrounding Yu Liberte were too vicious for casual travelers. He wished to promote tourism to the region, and that meant removing as many monsters as necessary. It was a dangerous task, but Hubert and his men had been ready for the challenge. And for the ten days following his birthday, he had spent nearly all of his time in one section of the desert or another, assisting his troops with the task of eradication.

On the eleventh day, Hubert stood on the front steps of the capitol building in Yu Liberte, his blue eyes fixed on the group of thirty men gathering before him. It was late in the afternoon, nearly five o'clock, and he was eager to address the men before they departed for their final night of duties. They had made great progress, prior to that day, and had only a small area of the desert east of the city to cover. The most vicious attacks had been reported there, thanks to an apparent nest of Stormheart Dragons - but they'd had no luck in finding the nest, and had even begun to wonder if the dragons hadn't somehow eradicated themselves. Even so, Hubert had decided to make one final overnight camp in the desert, upon which they would do a thorough sweep for any remaining monsters and take the appropriate measures.

"Alright," he called to the group, watching as each of the men quieted and shifted their attention to him. He scanned their faces, all now familiar to him, until his eyes met those of his former cousin's. "Raymond," he spoke, motioning to his side, and the aide hurried to climb the stairs and stand beside him, turning to face the crowd as well. "Tonight," Hubert began, raising his voice, "will be our last in the deserts of Strahta."

The group erupted into cheers. The blue-haired man chuckled, allowing them a moment of celebration before he continued. "Our hard work has already paid off," he said, "and will continue to have an impact for many months, if not years, to come. Our eradication efforts have already resulted in an increased flow of foot traffic between the cities of Strahta, and soon, we can expect an increase in visitors from Fendel and Windor." He nodded firmly, folding his arms together. "Our final mission will be to investigate the deserts east of Yu Liberte for any remaining signs of vicious beasts. Although we have not located the dragons reported to be roaming the region, I feel that it would be safer to perform one final sweep of the area prior to declaring our mission a success."

There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd at this, and Hubert was relieved to hear them. He glanced to the man beside him, adjusting his glasses once before speaking, raising one hand to gesture to the brunette. "Raymond will now review the offensive and defensive formations at the site of our camp. Afterwards, please ensure you are fully stocked on supplies and prepared for an evening in the desert. We will depart in an hour." He scanned the faces of the crowd again. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Very good." He nodded. "Raymond?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Hubert's former cousin bowed slightly to his commanding officer, then turned to address the soldiers in front of him. "Should we meet with any monsters this evening, we will rely on two basic formations. With regards to our offensive tactics..."

The rest of Raymond's statement was lost to Hubert's ears as he entered the capitol building, shutting the door tightly behind him. The blue-haired man smiled to himself as he walked quickly in the direction of the stairs to the second floor, his mind already moving away from the subject of his mission. He was glad that he was able to rely on Raymond; despite his uncle's movement to disown Hubert, the older Oswell man had been surprisingly nonchalant about the matter, insisting that such a personal thing would not affect the way he operated as a member of the military. Though he lacked any kind of rank above the menial aide-de-camp title - mostly because he hadn't yet acted in a way that would merit a promotion - he had moved past his questionable actions and re-dedicated himself as a member of the younger Oswell's unit. Being able to rely on someone was a comfort to Hubert, who had become all too used to the idea that if a man wanted something done correctly, he would simply need to do it himself.

He climbed the stairs and moved swiftly up the hallway on the left side of the second floor, past several open and closed doors that led to a variety of offices and meeting areas. As the day drew to a close, many of the government and military employees who worked in the capitol building had already departed for home, and the usually bustling hall was completely empty. He reached his destination at the end of the hallway, arriving at an open door with a simple gold-plated label on the front that read "research & development." Knocking wasn't necessary - it never was - and the blue-haired man simply entered, clearing his throat as he did so. "Hello?" he called, his eyes sweeping the seemingly empty office. "Pascal - "

"Oh, Lieutenant Oswell!" A soft voice sounded in his ear, and Hubert jumped, startled, as a tall young man seemed to materialize out of thin air beside him. "I'm sorry," the teenager apologized immediately, motioning to a bulletin board on the wall immediately beside the door. "I was updating this..."

"Apologies are not necessary, Arnauld." Hubert chuckled, shaking his head. Arnauld, Pascal's assistant, was an unusually tall, stocky Amarcian teenager with long layers of green and white hair that all but covered his golden eyes. Although he appeared built for combat, thanks to his build, he was a gentle, soft-spoken young man of sixteen who had no interest whatsoever in fighting. Pascal had chosen him specifically as her assistant, although the story of how he'd come to live and work in Strahta was a long and interesting one. "I had hoped to speak to Pascal before I departed for the evening," Hubert explained, nodding once at the unoccupied desk that sat near the back wall of the large office. "Have you seen her recently?"

"I think she went to talk to Mr. Paradine about something." Arnauld pinned a sheet of scribbled notes to the board in front of him, bending slightly to examine its placement. "I thought you'd already left, Lieutenant Oswell. Miss Pascal probably did, too."

"Not just yet." He put a hand to his chin, examining the board. "What is it that you're planning this week?"

"Well, we're hoping to go ahead with the audio communication system." The young man's voice brightened. "Miss Pascal's been testing it with Miss Fourier, and after we worked out some of the interference problems, and isolated the source of energy - "

"I'm afraid I have no need for a technical explanation, Arnauld." The lieutenant waved one hand at him, chuckling again. "But I am glad to hear that it is moving forward. Pascal has been very adamant about implementing this particular project, even if only in public places. It could truly revolutionize the way we communicate."

"Yes, but..." Arnauld sighed. "To be honest, I'm not sure if it will work on a larger scale. We're just not able to generate enough electricity from the cryas. And then there's the problem of quality loss after a period of time..."

"You will figure it out." Hubert nodded. "Between the two of you, I highly doubt that anything could be considered impossible. It is amazing how many of this world's problems a mere two Amarcians can resolve - "

"Huuuuuuu!" He never finished his sentence: a flash of blue, white, and red flew at him from the hallway, and he barely avoided toppling to the ground as Pascal sprang on him, hugging him tightly. "I thought you left again!" she exclaimed, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was struggling to stand upright. "I'm sooooo glad you're still here!"

"Pascal," he uttered, immediately impatient, "what have I told you about doing such a thing in public - "

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But there's like nobody here." She detached herself from him, rolling her eyes as she took a step back to straighten out the coat of her Strahtan uniform. After her appointment to the head of Strahta's newly formed research and development department five months prior, Pascal had become an invaluable member of Dylan Paradine's personal cabinet. With the help of her assistant and various other volunteer personel, she had spearheaded a surprising number of projects and developments, including solar-powered energy, cool and warm air systems, water purification and reuse, and - most recently - a long-distance audio communication system. She remained as vibrant and energetic as ever, but her energy had been put to good use improving the quality of life in Strahta, not to mention Windor and Fendel. "I saw all the soldiers running around out front, so I was sure you had left already, or were out there commanding them and stuff," she remarked cheerfully. "But here you are!"

"No, we are not prepared to leave just yet. But we will be departing for the desert east of the city very soon, so I thought to come say goodbye until tomorrow." He glanced to Arnauld, who had already turned away to shuffle through a stack of folders on Pascal's messy desk. Hubert had to smile at this: the teenager knew full well what kind of relationship his superiors had, but was too respectful to stare or comment on it. Although it was a small thing, it was something the lieutenant greatly appreciated. "I will return in the morning," he continued, bending to press a kiss to the top of Pascal's head. "Afterwards, I should return to a more normal schedule."

"That's good." She beamed up at him. "It's been totally boring without you around. I mean, Arn's kept me company and stuff, but... it's just not the same, you know?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Who would have thought that a mere ten days apart would cause us such distress?"

"Well, I kinda figured." She sighed, lowering her voice slightly. "I really have been missing you a whole heck of a lot. It's not like I can't take care of myself, but it totally sucks going to bed alone and everything..."

"It will all be over soon." He bent to her again, and - sparing another glance at Arnauld, whose back was now turned - this time placed a kiss on her lips, carefully twining his arms around her slender waist. She leaned into him immediately, lifting her hands to rest against his shoulders, and they shared another long kiss after the first one was broken. Hubert released a sigh of his own when they parted, reluctantly releasing her from his embrace. "But it is exactly as you said," he told her, softly. "Sleeping alone is... difficult."

She gave him a slight smile, patting him gently on one cheek. "It's okay. Being away from you makes me love you more, and stuff."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, is what I believe you mean to say." He turned his head to kiss her wrist, cupping her hand in one of his own, and his fingertips brushed across something cold and metallic on one finger. He blinked, pulling her hand around into his line of vision, turning her fingers over until he saw what it was he had felt. "What's this?" he asked, nodding at a golden band on her ring finger.

"Oh! Yeah! I totally forgot." She laughed excitedly, pointing at the ring. "Remember when we were on Fodra, and I made those rings out of derris ore for me and Captain to wear so we could use Sophie's power like the rest of you guys? I stopped wearing mine as soon as I didn't need it, but I kept it in my stuff all this time. I was cleaning up my room a couple nights ago and found it again. I thought I'd wear it for a little while, for old time's sake."

"... _you_ were _cleaning_?"

"Hu..." She made a face up at him. "Come on. I'm not _that_ irresponsible."

"I beg to differ." He snorted, lifting her hand to more closely examine the ring, ignoring the annoyed look she sent him. "I do remember this," he remarked, "but how in the world did it become so... filthy?"

"Oh yeah, I guess it _is_ kinda dirty." They both looked down at the golden band, which was dull, worn, and even seemed discolored in several places. She tilted her head to one side, looking from him to the ring. "I guess it's because I wore it the whole time we were traveling and fighting with monsters and stuff. As soon as I didn't need it anymore, I just kinda tossed it aside." She laughed. "And not a minute too soon, 'cause Cheria still thought it was an engagement ring even after I told her it wasn't. As if Captain and I would ever get married!"

"Cheria's thoughts on marriage have always been somewhat... skewed. But that is of no matter, now that she is the Lady of Lhant." Hubert laughed to himself before bending to carefully slide the ring off of Pascal's finger, turning it around in his hand to inspect it. "I will be passing by Marian's shop on my way to purchase supplies for the evening," he remarked, squinting at the band that rested in his palm. "Shall I ask her to polish this on your behalf? I am sure it would be something she could do."

"Ooh..." She blinked up at him. "You think? I mean, it's got some sentimental value and stuff, but it's probably not worth very much..."

"Not in its current form, perhaps." He closed his fingers around the ring, a slight smile forcing its way onto his mouth. "But such a thing may have more value than you realize."

"... huh?"

"I only mean to say that this type of metal does not exist on Ephinea. It may have significant value to a collector of rare goods and gems." He slipped the ring into a pocket on the inside of his uniform's coat, glancing over the top of Pascal's head as Arnauld moved away from the desk to a large filing cabinet against one wall. "I should be going. I will see what Marian can do with your ring prior to our entrance into the desert. I expect to return by the time you report to the capitol building tomorrow morning." He cleared his throat, raising his voice. "Arnauld?"

The teenager spun on his heel, golden eyes wide beneath a few errant strands of his pale hair. "Yes, Lieutenant Oswell?"

"If I could ask for a favor..."

"Of course!"

"Please keep an eye on Pascal for the rest of the evening. I fear that going so long without my supervision has caused her to become somewhat crazed, if she has resorted to cleaning her room." He smiled, pretending not to notice the frown that immediately appeared on Pascal's face. "Although she will not admit it, I am certain she is feeling lonely right now. So you are more than welcome to keep her company for the evening."

She shook her head at him. "C'mon, Hu, don't tell him _that_..."

"He's right, Miss Pascal. You've been acting a little less like yourself since Lieutenant Oswell first left last week." Arnauld crossed the room to meet them, smiling. "Actually, for the first two or three days, it seemed like all you were able to do was sit at your desk and mope..."

"Arn..." Pascal gritted her teeth, abruptly jumping up to sling an arm around the tall Amarcian's neck, yanking him down to her level. "Don't say things like that in front of him!" she commanded, pointing at Hubert. "I wasn't moping at all! I was thinking about how to get stuff done, and... and stuff!"

Arnauld smiled despite the tight vice that Pascal's arm was making around his neck, coughing once before he spoke. "Sorry, Miss Pascal..."

Hubert sighed, shaking his head. "Pascal, don't be so hard on the poor boy. It must be taxing enough being your assistant. There is no need to strangle him on top of that."

She narrowed her eyes up at him. "You're next, mister."

"And for what reason?"

"I am _not_ lonely!" She jabbed a finger into his face, apparently not noticing her arm tightening around Arnauld's neck, causing the teenager to wince and gasp for air. "In fact, I'm glad you've been gone! I get a _ton_ more work done when you're not walking around here distracting me!"

"_I_ am the distraction? I beg to differ!"

"M - Miss Pascal..." Arnauld gently patted Pascal's arm with one hand. "Could you... let go, please?"

"Whoops! Sorry, Arn." She released him immediately, watching as he straightened up to his full height, rubbing at his neck. After a moment she shifted her attention back to Hubert, and the anger fell out of her face completely when she saw the smile that had made its way onto his mouth. She breathed out loudly, shrugging, and leaned up to plant a kiss on the lieutenant's cheek. "You better get going, Hu," she said. "I can strangle you when you get back, yeah?"

"If you still feel the need." He patted her on the head once before they drew away from each other, and they shared a short smile before Hubert stepped back, nodding to both Amarcians in turn. "I will see you both sometime tomorrow morning," he said. "Please do your best to stay out of trouble until then."

"Yes, sir," Arnauld answered, cheerfully. "I'll keep an eye on Miss Pascal tonight."

"Oh, whatever." Pascal waved a hand at her assistant, dismissing his remark, but the smile remained on her face as she looked up at Hubert. "Stay safe out there, alright?"

"I will." He nodded to her again before turning on his heel to leave the office, walking out into the hallway. He was halfway down the hall before he thought to look over his shoulder, just in case - and he saw Pascal peeking out of the door, her amber eyes fixed on him. He stopped in place, sighing softly, raising his hand in a wave. The look she gave him at first was a concerned one, but she gradually smiled again, returning his wave with one of her own. "I will be back," he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. "I promise."

She nodded once without speaking, apparently reassured, and then disappeared back into her office. With that, Hubert began walking again, picking up his pace as he reached the stairs. He still had to purchase supplies for the evening, and make a detour to speak with Marian. He had no time to waste if he wanted to ensure that his men left the desert on time.

* * *

"Hey, Hubert!"

"Hello, Marian." Hubert nodded politely at the dark-haired woman as he approached her stall, a canvas bag of supplies slung over one shoulder. The young woman leaned forward to give him a grin as he arrived in front of her, folding her arms together on the counter, and he offered a slight smile of his own in return. "I trust you have been well?"

"As well as I was the last time you stopped by. We've been seeing a lot of each other lately, haven't we?" She laughed. "Did you come to pick up those gems you left the other day? I've been done with them for a while."

"Oh, yes. I had all but forgotten about those." He reached into the pocket on the inside of his coat, ensuring that Pascal's ring remained safely tucked away there. "But I have something else to leave with you, if you are not too busy."

"I'm never too busy for you, Hubert." She winked at him before turning away from the counter, moving into the back of the shop. The lieutenant waited quietly as she rummaged through shelves of merchandise before returning to the front with two small cloth bags. "This one was pretty normal fare," she said, upending the first bag on the counter. "You just found these sitting around in the sand, right?"

"Yes." He nodded, reaching forward to lift one of the gems into his hand, turning it around in his fingers. "During the eradication missions. They originally looked as if they had been discarded for many years, but..." He looked over the others before placing them back in the small bag. "As usual, you have greatly improved their appearance. Are they of any value?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "They _are_ old, but that's about it. Most of them are too small to be dualized with any equipment or anything. But this one..." She eagerly grabbed at the second bag, pulling open the drawstring. "This was really interesting."

He lifted an eyebrow, watching her. "Oh?"

"I've honestly never seen anything like this. When you brought it in, it was caked in dirt and sand, and only a little bit of the side was showing - remember that one?" He gave her a nod, and she opened the bag, carefully withdrawing a flat, fist-sized stone that was deposited before him. "Honestly, something like this shouldn't even exist. As best as I can tell, it's crystalized water cryas, but..."

Hubert squinted at the stone, blinking a few times as he lifted it into his palm. The gem was a pale blue, almost transparent, and he recognized its color as similar to the pieces of water cryas he had seen in the past. But there were fire red swirls running through it, and as he turned the gem around in his hands, he seemed to recognize what they were. "Fire cryas?" he asked. "Within the water...?"

"That's what I'm thinking." She folded her arms, looking skeptically at the stone. "But that kind of thing shouldn't be stable at all. How would pieces of fire cryas get all the way to Strahta, much less exist inside a piece of water cryas without causing some kind of chemical reaction? The only thing I can think of is that it's a similar looking gem, but even so..."

"It is certainly unique. Perhaps I can ask Pascal about this when I return." He looked down at the stone for a moment, thinking, and an idea slowly made its way into his mind. There was something that he had been considering, prior to taking Pascal's ring, or being presented with this gem... but this seemed, to him, to be the kind of situation that could force him to take action. It had been more than six months since his initial proposal to Pascal, and marriage was an ever-present thought on his mind. He had lacked, however, the time or resources with which to act. He wanted to propose to her again, but he hadn't known how to bring up the topic. And now, sitting before him...

He placed the gem on the counter beside the bag containing the others before reaching into the pocket of his coat to retrieve the worn golden ring there. "Marian," he began, "may I ask if you have any experience with jewelry?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" She smiled brilliantly. "I get women dropping by here to get their rings and brooches polished all the time. I've done a bit of jewelry making, too, in my free time."

"Then perhaps I will have you take a look at this." He motioned for her to hold out her hand, and when she did, he placed Pascal's ring there. "This material is very rare," he explained, watching her bend to study it. "In fact, it does not exist on our planet. This is something that was crafted during my travels."

She blinked down at the band. "Hmm. Whatever it is, it definitely needs a good cleaning..."

He nodded, folding his arms together. "Yes. However, there is something else I would like you to do with this ring."

"Something else?"

"Although I am not sure how well the material will lend itself to such a thing..." He nodded at the pale blue gem sitting on the counter. "Might I ask you to somehow combine these two items together? I would like to see this ring transformed into something beyond its current state. I feel adding a rare gem such as this to the band would be an ideal solution."

"You're telling me to cut up this hunk of cryas for a _ring_?" She stared at him. "Hubert, you know I'm not one to doubt your judgement, but this could be invaluable, not to mention _completely_ unstable. Shouldn't you have someone look at it before I go hacking it to pieces?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "The value does not concern me. I can think of nothing better to suit the wearer I have in mind for this particular piece of jewelry."

"The wear..." Her mouth abruptly shifted into an "O" shape. "You're thinking of finally proposing to that Amarcian girlfriend of yours, aren't you?"

"I said nothing of the sort."

"You didn't _have_ to say it. You're already as red as a tomato." Marian laughed, and Hubert abruptly turned his head away, feeling the blush that had risen into his cheeks grow hotter. "Come on, don't deny it," she continued, her voice taking on a teasing tone. "Everybody knows you two are practically inseperable. You turned down the president's daughter for her, didn't you?"

"How - how do you know about something like that?"

"Everybody talks around here." She laughed again, and out of the corner of her eye he saw her shake her head. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We should all be so lucky in love."

"I will refrain from making any comments on my relationship with Pascal, but..." He sighed, looking reluctantly back at her. "This ring belongs to her, and I would like to give it greater value than it has at the moment. Whether or not that means anything regarding our engagement is no one's business but my own."

"I think your intentions are a little more obvious than you realize, Hubert." Marian leaned forward, smiling brightly, plucking the gem from the counter and closing her hand around both it and the ring. "But I can see it makes you uncomfortable to discuss this, so I won't push you."

He eyed her warily. "So you will take on the task?"

"I'll do my best with it. Polishing the ring shouldn't be a problem, but the stone might give me some trouble. I'll just have to be careful." She nodded. "How quickly do you need this?"

He cleared his throat, glancing away. "By tomorrow, if possible."

"_Tomorrow_? But - "

"I'll pay you double the costs of labor and any parts you may require." He lifted his eyes back to hers, speaking confidently. "Triple, if you feel it is necessary."

She looked at him for a moment without speaking, one dark eyebrow raised, but then she sighed, shrugging. "Alright. For double the normal cost, I'll do it. I should be able to finish it tonight, as long as I don't get any other pressing business. But - " She pointed a finger at him. " - _don't_ expect perfection. I'm not an expert on jewelry, and I'm only doing this for you as a favor. And if this hunk of cryas explodes my shop when I try to cut it down, _you'll_ be the one buying me new tools."

He chuckled. "I ought to buy you new tools as it is, Marian. But I will agree to that."

"Alright." She stuck out her hand and he shook it firmly, watching as the smile graced her lips again. "It's a deal," she said. "Come back in the morning, once you're done out there in the desert. I'll be waiting."

"Thank you." He picked up the small cloth bag containing his other gems and tucked them into the pocket on the inside of his jacket before bowing to her, his hands linked together behind his back. "I greatly appreciate your assistance."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved a hand at him. "Now get going before you're late."

He nodded once, turning on his heel to leave her stall and start in the direction of the governmental district again. After he had traveled a few paces away he heard her voice behind him once more: "Oh, and Hubert?"

He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Yes?"

Even from a distance he could tell that the smile she wore was a wide one. "You're going to invite me to the wedding, right?"

He had nothing to say to that, and as he stormed off up the street, he could hear her laughter behind him for several seconds, and felt the burning of another hot blush on his face.

* * *

Hours later, after night had fallen in Strahta, Hubert sat cross-legged in front of a campfire in a desert to the east of Yu Liberte. Scattered around the area were several small blue tents, and small clusters of men stood around the camp, speaking to each other quietly. The troop had settled down in the middle of the desert after more than three hours spent combing the area for any sign of trouble; they had located and exterminated a few weak monsters, but nothing that would have presented any travelers with significant trouble. Hubert had called off the search until the middle of the night, commanding the group to make camp and rest until the early morning hours when any creatures that remained would be more docile, or even asleep.

The lieutenant looked for a moment at the quiet campsite, ensuring everything was at peace before allowing his mind to turn to what had gone on earlier in the day. He had struggled for hours to push aside the thoughts of what he had allowed to be implied upon leaving Pascal's ring with Marian... but now that he was alone, it was time for him to come to terms with it. He stared into the burning fire before him, thinking, allowing his mind to wander as it pleased.

Over six months had passed since his initial proposal to Pascal - five months since she had become a permanent resident of Strahta, and taken her new position with the government - and yet their mentions of marriage had all but stopped. During the first two months, Pascal had seemed flattered by his proposal, and had been sure to tease him about their future at every opportunity. In December, when he had finally found himself ready to take their relationship to the next level, it had been on the condition that they would refrain from excessive intimacy until they were properly married. They had grown close, almost inseperable... but yet, after the new year had started, they had ceased to mention the upcoming six month anniversary of their agreement to each other.

He recognized one particular emotion in his heart that had caused him to hesitate: fear. Although he had promised her not to be scared, and not to allow fear to impede his actions, he was worried about what she might say or do upon a second proposal. They had become closer than ever, and he truly loved her with all of his heart. But even though she had implied on multiple occasions that they would be married... over the last two months, those hints, those little remarks she had loved to tease him with, had come to an abrupt stop. And so the fear had re-entered his heart, and caused _him_ to grow silent as well.

When he had taken Pascal's ring from her, it had been on a whim. He had been considering bringing the topic up with her again - even jokingly, even in a casual setting. But he had also wanted a way to follow through on such a topic, if she had proved receptive. Her ring had given him an opportunity that he could not pass up, and the appearance of a gem that reminded him of her, of their relationship - unstable fire and water, an uncontrollable force by his side - had only seemed to seal the deal, so to speak. But he worried, as he sat staring into the fire, that she might not prove receptive at all. What if, he wondered, she had changed her mind? What if she had decided that her feelings did not match his? What if -

"Lieutenant?"

A familiar voice brought him immediately out of his reverie, and Hubert looked over his shoulder, lifting his eyes to those of Raymond's. The aide stood behind him, arms folded together, his head tilted slightly. "I do not mean to disturb you," the older man began, "but I was hoping that I could... speak to you, for a moment."

"Yes, of course." Hubert motioned to the space in the sand beside him, shaking his head free of the thoughts that had been plaguing him, watching as Raymond settled down into a sitting position. "But, Cousin," he said, allowing a slight smile to crease his mouth, "you do not have to address me so formally in private. I have told you this before."

"I am still shocked that you continue to think of me as family, despite the actions of my uncle."

"You will always be my cousin, Raymond." He nodded slowly. "My foster father's denouncement of me has no bearing on the kind of relationship we have. If anything, we are both victims of his poor judgement, and have a connection due to that." He allowed himself a slight chuckle as he saw a wry grin appear on Raymond's mouth. "What is on your mind?" he asked.

"Well, I..." The brunette bowed his head. "I was thinking about Cheria."

"... again? Cousin, now that she is wed, you _must_ - "

"Not in _that_ way." Raymond shook his head rapidly, his voice surprisingly stable and free of the usual whine with which he spoke of the woman who was now the Lady of Lhant. "I was thinking about her relief organization," he continued. "Now that she is married, it... well, it is lacking a leader of any kind. She still intends to participate, but her duties to Lhant will interfere." He breathed out a loud sigh, staring into the campfire. "At the same time, the need for such an organization is lessening. What we're doing here, eliminating the monsters... it may even make the army of Strahta useless."

"I wish you would not say such foolish things."

"But Lieut - Cousin," Raymond corrected himself, "it is the truth. With all three nations at peace, even temporarily, the need for relief work, or for a fully staffed army, is rapidly decreasing. And I - " He brought a hand to his chest, his voice rising. " - _I_ lack a place in this world. I am neither a lover nor a fighter. I have no wife and no political or military aspirations. And my uncle's hopes to continue the Oswell legacy died when you were disowned. He has no faith in me whatsoever."

Hubert watched the older man speak in silence, pausing for a moment before replying. "And you are unsure as to what you will do now. Is that correct?"

"I wish for your guidance." Raymond's eyes closed behind his glasses. "You are far stronger than I am. I wish for you to help me recognize my future. Thanks to Cheria, and the graciousness she has bestowed upon me, and the rest of the world, I - I know that I wish to somehow help people." He shook his head. "But I am afraid. All I have known in life is my uncle's conniving and my mother's... errant behavior. You are the only one I can turn to."

"Cousin..." Hubert chuckled softly, surprised. "I hadn't realized that you... looked up to me, in such a way."

"How could you not?" Raymond's eyes opened. "I envy you. Your position is secure, and you have Miss Pascal by your side. Everyone admires you. But I am..." He glanced away as if the admittance was painful. "... I am _nothing_ compared to you. It is no wonder that my uncle despises me so."

"I am certain that my former father is merely taking out his anger on you." The blue-haired man clasped his hands together. "But I fear that I cannot give you a definite answer. You must find your own path. We all experience fear, Cousin, but the only thing that I have been able to do in such a situation is - " He hesitated, suddenly, coming to a realization that answered his thoughts prior to Raymond's interruption. "The only thing I have been able to do," he began again, his words softer now, more sincere, "is face that fear head-on. Otherwise... you will never find the answer you are looking for."

The older man sounded unsure. "I am certain that you have experience with such a thing, but... how do I even begin?"

"I'm afraid I don't know." Hubert exhaled, straightening up, locking eyes with his cousin. "I am, in some ways, undergoing the same thing at the moment. There is something I fear, but I have been avoiding it. I know I must face it, but I have been struggling with the details." He glanced away, at the rest of the camp, before returning his attention to the man at his side. "All I can tell you is that the opportunity will present itself. And when it does, you must not hesitate. You will know it, when the time is right."

"You always speak so wisely." Raymond reached up to adjust his glasses. "It is no wonder that I am so envious of you."

"There is nothing to envy, Cousin." The younger man chuckled. "We all have our demons. Perhaps I simply hide mine better than yours."

"But I - "

"LIEUTENANT!" A loud cry sounded from somewhere off in the camp, only to be followed by a bone-chilling roar. Hubert gasped, snatching up his dualblade from the sand before scrambling to his feet. Raymond was immediately beside him, sword in hand, and the two men bolted away from the fire in the direction of the noise. It only took a moment before they met an out of breath soldier, his military uniform torn across the front and blonde hair messy, a dark blue hat crumpled in one of his hands. "Lieutenant Oswell," he panted, "we found - "

Another roar met their ears, and over the top of the soldier's head, Hubert caught sight of a large, bulky beast with a rocky form slowly advancing on a group of two men. He drew in a sharp breath, hearing Raymond do the same beside him. "A Stormheart?" he asked. "Where did it _come_ from?"

"It came out of nowhere! We were standing about a hundred yards north, and all of a sudden - " Another roar came faintly above their heads, and all three men looked up, suddenly gasping in unison. "Shit!" the soldier cursed, taking a step back, "they're flying in!"

Raymond sounded nervous. "St - Stormheart Dragons can _fly_?"

"Apparently so..." Hubert watched as a group of the bulky beasts slowly circled their camp, flapping their wings as they lowered themselves close to the sand, letting out angry roars that sent chills up his spine. He gripped the weapon in his hand tightly, counting them - there were ten in the air, eleven counting the one already on the ground - before looking to the blonde man in front of him. "Are you injured?" he asked.

"No, that one just got a good swipe at me, I - I didn't see it coming." The soldier looked over his shoulder, unsheathing his sword. "I can still fight!"

"Good." Hubert nodded. "Go back to the others and fend them off the best you can. Do NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to work alone. Between all of us, we should be able to take them down. Hurry!" The blonde man clapped his free hand to his chest before spinning on his heel and running back to where all of the men were now gathering, watching as the dragons came to land in the sand on the edge of their camp, just behind the scattered blue tents. "Stormheart Dragons normally do not fly," the lieutenant said after a moment, frowning up at the aide by his side, "nor are they this large. I fear we may have stumbled upon something unexpected..."

"What should we do?"

"If they will attack us, we have no choice but to fight." A dragon had caught sight of the two men, and Hubert watched, alarmed, as it changed its flight path, beginning to dive in the direction of where they stood on the sand. "Run!" he called, abruptly, "away from the camp!"

"No, Lieutenant!" Raymond braced himself, sword held out in front of him. "I can take this one! There is no need to run away!"

"Raymond, do not be stupid!" The dragon landed only feet away from them, and Hubert dove to the side, rolling twice in the sand before righting himself again. "Raymond!" he shouted, watching the aide stand firm in front of the monster, weapon still held aloft. "What are you _doing_? We must move to another area; we are too close to the camp - "

The brunette stood firm. "I will do as you told me! I will not run from my fears!"

"That isn't at _all_ what I was telling you - " Hubert began, but it was too late: the dragon punished the aide for his lack of action with the swipe of a massive talon across his chest. Raymond was flung into the sand as limply as a rag doll, and as the blue-haired man watched, his mouth open, crimson began to appear on the edges of his torn uniform. "Raymond!" Hubert shouted, picking himself up off the sand, running to where he had fallen. "You fool - !"

"L - Lieutenant..." Raymond's voice was strained and barely audible as his cousin arrived by his body. "I didn't mean to... sacrifice myself, for you," he murmured, pressing a gloved hand to the bloody front of his shirt, "but if this is my purpose in this world... if this is the way I have to go, it will be honorable - "

"Stop saying such nonsense, Cousin!" Hubert held his dualblade up high, staring hard at the monster in front of them. "I can't possibly take this thing on by myself, but I have no choice, now that you have acted so rashly..." The dragon roared, leaning close, and he gritted his teeth, turning his attention away from the fallen aide. "You wretched beast," he began, "I will make you pay - "

A sudden explosion of fire erupted in front of his eyes, and he took a step back, alarmed. The creature in front of him roared, arching its neck as it was briefly engulfed by flames, its legs buckling. He watched for only a moment before he spun around in place, gripping his weapon tight. "I know that spell - !"

"Backup has officially arrived!" A tall metal staff landed neatly by Hubert's feet, and he sighed heavily as his eyes met Pascal's. She grinned up at him as she landed in the sand by his side, reaching up to adjust the dark blue hat she wore to match her Strahtan military uniform. "Hey," she greeted him casually, winking, "looks like you could use some help, huh?"

"What on _earth_ are you doing here?" He glanced over the top of her head and saw a familiar figure behind her, a tall teenager with white and green hair, a wooden staff strapped to his back. "Arnauld!" he exclaimed, "not you too!"

"Relax! We're not gonna get in the way." Pascal plucked her weapon from the sand, spinning it in her hands once before taking her place close beside Hubert. "Arn," she called over her shoulder, "can you get that guy out of the way? He's gonna need a healing spell or two... or five."

"Yes, Miss Pascal!" Hubert watched out of the corner of one eye as Arnauld bent and looped his arms around Raymond's shoulders, dragging him almost effortlessly away from the battlefield. "We'll be over here!" he called, nodding in the direction of the tents.

"Good." She grinned again, facing forward. "Now, about this nasty old monster..."

"You still haven't answered me. _What_ are _you_ doing here?" Hubert frowned down at her, glancing back at the creature as it struggled to rise again to its feet. They had at least one more minute to spare before it went on the attack again, he calculated - maybe less. "This is a military operation, not some open season for attacking monsters without rhyme or reason - "

"It's fine!" she cut him off, waving her free hand at him. "Arn said he wanted to see some more of the desert, and I thought I'd stop by and say hi. But when we were headed this way, I saw the dragons start to rush at you guys, so we decided to help out. He can heal and I can fight, so we'll be of _some_ use to you, yeah?"

He sighed, sparing a quick glance at the other men, all now fully involved in battles with monsters similar in appearance to the one in front of them. "I won't stop you, knowing full well how strong you are," he remarked, "but if I hear a single word of complaint from you..."

"The only thing you're gonna hear is the sound of this dragon getting its butt whooped." She winked a second time, swinging her staff forward in front of them. "Let's boogie!"


	2. if my heart was a house

**author's note: **Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but there's a good reason for it. I think most of you have been waiting for this moment. One more chapter to go after this, I think.

I've always really liked the Owl City song this chapter takes its name from. Especially the line "if my heart was a compass you'd be north." Something about it just reminds me of Hubert. It might make good background music as you read through this.

Enjoy :)

* * *

**futatsu boshi**  
part two - _if my heart was a house_

* * *

More than six months of traveling and engaging in battles with Pascal by Hubert's side had caused him to become fully in tune with her style of fighting. Although it had been almost a year since they had worked together in such a way, everything seemed to come back to him in an instant as they faced the beast in front of them. He sprang at the dragon as it rose up to its full height again, stepping to the side as he heard his companion begin to summon another fire spell. Flames rained down on the monster and it raised its neck in a roar, giving him ample opportunity to make a quick series of slashes with his weapon. "One down, a whole bunch more to go!" he heard her shout as the dragon collapsed on the sand in front of him. "We should probably go help out the others, don't you think?"

"Agreed. These beasts are not at all what I expected " He gritted his teeth for a moment as he spun on his heel, the two of them beginning to run together in the direction of the other monsters. "Could they be undergoing some sort of residual evolutionary change from the influence of Fodra?"

"That's always possible. Or maybe they were left from Richard's whole rampage-y thing, and were just hiding out for a while." He glanced to his side and saw a frown crease her pale eyebrows. "I'll call Fourier about it later. For now - "

"Right," he responded, not needing to hear the end of her sentence to know what she was about to say. They arrived at the place where the rest of the dragons had gathered and came to a stop at the same time, each of them taking a quick survey of the battle. No one had fallen just yet, Hubert noted, but his men had banded together in groups of threes and fours, and the splatter of blood on the sand told him that there were already injuries. "Damn," he cursed, "if Arnauld wasn't with Raymond..."

"We'll just have to worry about that later, Hu! Now come on!" She sprang forward, starting toward the closest group of soldiers with her staff held high over her head. He followed, spinning his dualblade once in his hands to ensure it was still attached in the center. They arrived together at the side of a roaring dragon being fended off by a group of three men, one of which had a trickle of blood running down the side of his face. "Stand back!" Pascal shouted to them, wrapping her hands around the top of her staff. "Otherwise you're gonna get burnt!"

"Miss - Miss Pascal?" The injured soldier gave her a bewildered look as he withdrew his sword; then, noticing Hubert, stepped back from the dragon entirely. "Lieutenant Oswell, _what_ is going on?"

"Don't ask questions. If you are hurt, withdraw, and do it now!" He moved quickly to the front of the dragon with the other two men, lifting the end of his blade to the monster's already torn and bleeding throat. "Pascal!" he called, and flames consumed the beast, causing the two remaining soldiers to gasp and draw back. Hubert did not hesitate, using the opportunity to make the final blow. "That tactic seems to work well," he remarked, breathing heavily, watching the dragon fall lifeless to the sand. "They are too weak to fire to stand upright."

"Lieutenant Oswell, what is _she_ doing here?" One of the men gestured to Pascal with wide eyes. "The both of you saved us, but - "

"I'll explain it to you boys later." The Amarcian tipped her hat at the young man, winking. "Don't you think you'd better go help out the others? The more of you there are, the easier these crazy dragons will be to take down."

"Y - y - _yes, ma'am_!"

All three soldiers clapped their hands to their chests before bolting off in the direction of the other dragons, swords drawn. Hubert watched them go, scoffing as he narrowed his eyes at the woman to his side. "Have you forgotten whose army this is, Pascal?"

"Hey, don't get mad at me. _They're_ the ones who listened. Maybe they just like me better." She grinned as she started off after the soldiers, lifting her staff to rest against one shoulder. "C'mon, slowpoke - we have a lot of work to do!"

With the help of Pascal's fire spells, Hubert and his men made short work of the remaining dragons. They quickly fell into a rhythm as they moved from beast to beast, and by the time they reached the last one, the combined effort of the Strahtan soldiers had all but ended its life. In the end, after a short ten minutes of intense battle, all eleven Stormheart Dragons lay lifeless on the sand. Hubert stood in the midst of the chaos as it died down, taking a survey of the scene. Aside from Raymond's injuries, which he knew little about at that moment, he saw no serious problems. The uniforms of several men had been ripped or torn, and there appeared to be some scrapes and bruises, but that was the extent of it. He was very grateful - and proud - to see that there had been no casualties.

"Everybody seems okay." Pascal arrived beside him, tossing the end of her staff into the sand, causing it to stand upright on its own. She sighed heavily, stripping off a pair of thick black gloves and tucking them into the coat pocket of her uniform, her amber eyes fixed on one of the monster carcasses. "But you know, you were right, Hu... Those things weren't normal. The ones we fought before were _way_ less vicious."

"We should call your sister at once." He swallowed, taking apart his weapon and tucking each side into its appropriate holster. "If this is a sign of increased activity on Fodra..."

"Lieutenant Oswell!" A blonde soldier - the same man from earlier - approached, raising his hand quickly to his chest before speaking again. "We've surveyed the camp, sir," he reported. "No one is seriously hurt, and there are no signs of any other monsters. At your command, we'll send a search party further out into the desert to look for additional Stormhearts, but - " He glanced to Pascal. "Without Miss Pascal's help, I fear we may have difficulty doing such a thing - "

"No. We will remain in our camp for the time being." Hubert shook his head, folding his arms together. "It would be far too risky to send even a large unit into the desert at this time. Any fragmentation of our troop might result in a group becoming overwhelmed by an additional attack." He glanced in the direction of the camp, then back to the young man. "Raymond is injured, and as such, I fear it falls to you to act as my aide, Gabriel. Are you willing to take on the task?"

"Of course, sir!"

"Very good. Round up the others. We will discuss our plan for the rest of the evening." The newly appointed aide promptly bowed and turned on his heel, running in the direction of the scattered soldiers, yelling for them all to gather by their lieutenant. Hubert watched for a moment before looking to Pascal, who had already pulled a small communication device from her pocket and was rapidly tapping out a message. "How fast do you think that Fourier can make it to Strahta?"

"Dunno. She was in Zavhert with Captain last time I got anything from her. It won't be tonight, that's for sure."

"... with Captain Malik?"

"Umm... yeah. I'll tell you about that a little later." She jabbed a button on the device and a beacon of light shot into the air, zipping off quickly to the north. The communicator she had begun to use was one of her own creation, not one that had been taken from Poisson, and was much faster at sending and receiving messages. The Amarcian tucked the small item back into a pocket on the inside of her coat, biting down on her bottom lip, watching as the soldiers all gathered around where they stood. "Do you want me to leave, Hu?" she asked softly.

"No. Stay right where you are. This will only take a moment." He took a few steps forward, raising his voice as he addressed the crowd. "Everyone," he called, watching them all draw near to where he stood, "please quiet down. We must discuss the events which have just occurred, and determine our next course of action."

"But more importantly, Lieutenant Oswell... what is Miss Pascal doing here?" A dark-haired man spoke up, coming close to the lieutenant, his brown eyes wide and fixed on the Amarcian. "She really helped us out, but I had no idea she was so strong..."

Pascal laughed, evidently amused by his remark. "Oh, you know," she answered, "I like to come out and help you guys every now and then. I'm just trying to keep from getting bored." She winked, wagging her finger at the soldier, and Hubert heard several men begin to laugh. Their response seemed to only add to her cheer, and she nodded at the man by her side, grinning. "Maybe I should ask for a transfer from R&D to the military, huh?"

Another man chortled, shaking his head at her. "You ought to be careful, Miss Pascal. Working under Lieutenant Oswell is no walk in the park..."

Someone else spoke up from the back of the crowd. "Doesn't she already know that?"

Hubert cleared his throat, loudly, sending a glare in the general direction of whoever had made that last remark - only to hear additional laughter from several of those among the group who were, undoubtedly, "in the know" about his relationship with Pascal. "That's enough," he called. "Miss Pascal's help is of course appreciated, but I would ask the rest of you not to throw yourselves so carelessly into battle."

He heard a snort from his side. "Now _you're_ calling me Miss Pascal?"

"Is that clear, men?" He ignored her remark, watching as the troop gathered back together, folding his arms tight across his chest. "There will be no more foolishness for the rest of the evening. We cannot afford a misstep now that we are so close to our goal."

"Yes, sir!" they chorused.

"Good." He nodded once, firmly. "Now we will discuss our plans for the next few hours. We will switch immediately to our defensive plan..."

* * *

"How is he?"

"He's recovering." Arnauld gave Hubert a slight smile as the blue-haired man entered the tent in which the Amarcian kneeled, Raymond Oswell's body stretched out on a thin mattress before him. Hubert had finished speaking to his troop and giving out specific instructions to individual members, then had given orders to his newly appointed aide, the young blonde man named Gabriel. After completing this, he had gone back to the camp, seeking out the tent where Arnauld had taken his injured cousin. "His injury wasn't life-threatening," the pale-haired teenager continued, "although there was quite a bit of blood..."

"You were able to heal him?"

"Yes, sir." Arnauld smiled. "Healing spells are one of the only things I'm really good at."

"I see." Hubert knelt by the mattress, looking over Raymond's bare and bandaged chest before sighing deeply. "Cousin," he said, "why on earth would you act so foolishly?"

The brunette opened one eye to look up at the lieutenant, wincing. "I had hoped to help you..."

"Just when I began to consider you a changed man, you proved me wrong." The blue-haired man shrugged, palms-up, shaking his head from side to side. "But I am thankful that you were not more seriously injuried, and that Arnauld arrived when he did. Had the situation gone any other way, we might not be speaking like this."

Raymond's eye closed again. "I... I am truly sorry."

"It is of no matter now. What is done is done. I will ask that both of you remain here until the morning." Hubert rose, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Should we find ourselves under attack a second time, I do not trust either of you to join the battlefield without some kind of unnecessary casualty."

Arnauld sighed, scratching the top of his head. "You're probably right about that, Lieutenant Oswell..."

"If you are in need of something, please come find me. I will be nearby for the rest of the evening." He nodded down at the Amarcian. "And thank you, Arnauld. I will consult you if we have further injuries."

"I'm - I'm happy to help, sir."

"I am glad to hear that." With that remark he turned and pushed open the front flaps of the tent, walking back out onto the sand. He immediately came face-to-face with Pascal, who stood watching him with an annoyed look on her face, her arms folded together. "Yes?" he asked, nonchalantly.

"_Miss_ Pascal?" She reached up and grabbed him by the collar, yanking his head down to her level. "Since when am I Miss Pascal to _you_?"

"P - _Pascal_ - "

"I thought you'd be more grateful for me saving you, Hu." She gritted her teeth. "But apparently _not_, considering you stood there and lectured all those soldiers about how to do anything like what _I_ did."

"It isn't that I am ungrateful." He pulled out of her grasp, sighing for the second time in only a few minutes, lifting one hand to adjust the collar of his coat. "But your actions set a poor example for my troop. Some of these soldiers are very impressionable young men who are likely to see you flying recklessly into battle and want to do the same. The last thing we need is another attempt to play hero."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That still doesn't explain why - "

"Also," he continued, glancing over his shoulder once to ensure the camp was free of soldiers, "I do not wish for any of my men to begin addressing you in a familiar nature. They will almost certainly imitate everything I do." He chuckled. "So until I am able to call you anything different, in public, you must be Miss Pascal to me."

"... I guess that makes sense." She turned her head away, reaching to her side to pluck her staff from where it had been placed in the sand. "And... I guess I owe you an apology, huh?"

"An apology?"

"I really did kind of... you know." She laughed lightly. "What'd you say? Go flying recklessly into battle? Yeah, I guess I did that." A smile appeared on her lips, and she shouldered her staff, looking back to him. "I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. We were coming up on the camp when I saw Raymond go down and that monster start to come after you, and I guess my instinct just kinda kicked in. I was remembering what it was like when we were still out traveling with everybody, and we had to save each other from surprise attacks all the time, you know? So..." She fidgeted, glancing at the sand beneath their feet. "I'm ... I'm sorry, Hu. You know I wasn't trying to cause you trouble, right?"

"Yes... I suppose." He took a step forward, reaching out to pat her gently on one shoulder, lifting her hat from her head as he leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "You are forgiven," he said, watching another smile appear on her mouth. "But I must insist that you do not venture out of my sight for the rest of the evening. Mr. Paradine would be furious with me if I unnecessarily endangered the life of one of his most valuable employees."

"Hmm..." She snatched the hat from him, twirling it around one finger on her free hand. "Is that the real reason, or are you just saying that so you can spend the night with me?"

He sighed again, shrugging his shoulders. "Were I to trust you to return to Yu Liberte on your own without unnecessarily putting Arnauld in danger, I would send you both on your way, but I would feel far more secure with you both here in our camp tonight."

She winked. "So you really do want me here, huh?"

"Pascal..." He brought a hand to his forehead, groaning. "That isn't it at all."

"Well, anyway." She placed her hat back on the top of her head, ensuring it was secure before speaking again. "What do we do now? All your guys are out there..." She gestured to the perimeter of the camp, where most of the thirty men stood, not moving, facing the seemingly empty desert that surrounded them. "... and we're just sitting back here. Isn't there something I can do?"

"No, not at the moment." He shook his head. "The men will stand guard for another hour. If there is no further activity, we will rest until just before sunrise, at which time we will sweep the area for any further signs of monsters. However, I am doubtful that we will find any." He drew his eyebrows together in a frown, looking out at where his men stood, several torches burning in the sand around them. "The Stormhearts appear to have come to us, yet we have swept all of the deserts in Strahta at least once. I suspect that they may have been in hiding elsewhere." He glanced back to her. "Have you heard from Fourier?"

"Not yet." She shrugged. "Maybe she's busy. If she's holed up in her lab again, there's no guarantee she'll come all the way out here."

"We must have someone look at the remains of these dragons. It is imperative that we learn why they have acted so rashly. And I believe that your sister would be able to tell us such a thing." He rubbed his forehead for a moment before allowing his hand to fall back to his side. "I am afraid there is not much you can do, Pascal, at least until the morning. If you would like to sleep, you are more than welcome to do so." He turned to look over his shoulder at the tent he had exited, where Raymond and Arnauld were. "Unfortunately, my quarters have become the first aid station for my cousin, so I cannot offer you them."

"That's okay." She laughed, apparently amused by his remark. "I don't feel much like sleeping."

"But you must report to work in the morning - "

"Hey, I've gone in without sleep before. It's not that hard." She turned on her heel and began to walk in the direction of the still burning campfire behind the tents, further away from the men standing guard. After a pause, Hubert followed her to the small campsite, watching as she tossed her staff aside before settling down in the sand in front of the fire. "You ate something, right?" she asked, peering up at him as he approached. "Not skipping any meals out here? 'cause you're looking skinner than usual..."

"We had a short meal upon our arrival. There is need to be concerned." He settled down beside her with a grunt, folding his legs together. "But do not change the subject, Pascal. You should be in bed, not sitting in the desert with me." He shook his head. "Just _what_ am I going to tell Mr. Paradine if he asks why my men are chattering about your appearance in battle?"

"Tell him the truth!" She waved a hand at him. "The prez isn't dumb, you know. I've told him a lot about what went on when we were traveling with Asbel and Sophie and stuff."

"... you have?"

"Yeah! Sometimes I'll pop down to his office to ask him a question or get a paper signed or something, and he'll ask me to tell him a story." She smiled brilliantly up at him. "Just the other day I was telling him how we got to Fodra and had to battle all those Little Queens, and how I totally misunderstood you when you tried to tell me you liked me - "

"PASCAL!" He clapped a hand over her mouth, feeling a hot blush rise into his face. "You should _not_ be telling the president of Strahta about my - my - my _romantic endeavors_!"

"Mmph mr - " She pushed his hand out of the way before attempting to speak again. "Oh come _on_, Hu. He's not gonna tell anybody. Besides, he knew we were together before I even said anything. When I was taking his job offer, he just kinda said "you and Hubert are a couple, right?" and I was like "yep!" and that was the end of it." She wrapped both of her hands around his, gently rubbing his fingers between her palms, and Hubert felt some of his discomfort leave him, abruptly, as he saw a light flush appear on her own cheeks. "It's not like he asks me anything embarrassing. But I think... he's kinda rooting for us, you know?"

"Rooting for us?" he echoed. "How so?"

"Well, the other day he asked..." She hesitated, glancing up into his eyes, and the expression that crossed her face left him confused: she appeared shy, and in the moment that she looked at him, almost apprehensive. He simply wasn't used to the idea of Pascal being scared of anything. "Never mind," she murmured. "I probably shouldn't repeat that."

"What... what was it?" He peered down into her face. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing!" The cheer returned to her voice in an instant, and she suddenly scooted over close to him, nudging one of his legs out of the way before settling in between them. She flumped back against him, nearly causing him to topple over, and after he had regained his balance he heard her laugh. "No one's going to see us over here, right?" she asked.

"It's... doubtful." He glanced around the deserted camp once before reluctantly winding his arms around her waist, twining his fingers together across her stomach. She immediately sighed, leaning into him, her hat tipping forward off her head and falling into her lap as she did so. "Where did you get that, anyway?" he asked, softly.

"I've had it all along, actually. When I snatched up all those men's uniforms to make this - " She gestured at her uniform, which was a short teal dress beneath a Strahtan military coat. " - I got the hats with them. I just never had a reason to wear one. But it's kinda cool, isn't it? I felt like a real member of the military when I had it on." She laughed again, picking up the dark blue accessory before tossing it carelessly into the sand. "I just wish it would stay on my head. It kept falling off when Arn and I were walking over here."

He chuckled. "Perhaps that gives you an idea as to how I feel about my glasses."

"Oooh yeah..." She leaned back, pushing the dark frames up on his nose with one finger. "I guess so, huh?"

They sat in silence together in the sand for a while after that remark, Pascal remaining snugly tucked between Hubert's legs, his arms wrapped around her waist. The fire that burned before them popped and cracked, casting a soft golden glow on the otherwise empty area around them, and the lieutenant found himself closing his eyes, gradually relaxing. Several minutes passed before the woman in his arms spoke, her voice gentle. "Hu... can I ask you something?"

"Of course." He opened one eye, glancing down at her. "What is it?"

"Do you remember back when we saw that meteor shower? Last year?" He nodded in response to her question, signaling for her to continue, which she did. "That was really nice, wasn't it...?"

"It was." He pressed his cheek to the top of her head, feeling something inside him soften at the memory. "Is there a reason you are bringing it up now?"

"Yeah... sort of." He felt her breathe out deeply. "I guess... sitting here with you like this... it reminds me of that night, you know? We'd just gotten over fighting and stuff, and then we went and did that, and..." She paused for a moment. "Actually, I was thinking about my wish, too."

"Your wish?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Just recently?"

"Yeah. And... I guess I was thinking about yours, too." She fidgeted slightly, her hair tickling his cheek. "Since you've been gone so much lately, all I've really been able to do is think about you. It's hard going to bed alone, and our place is way quieter when I don't have anybody to talk to. I mean, Arn's been hanging around trying to cheer me up, but..." She sighed again. "This is gonna sound really weird, but the only way I could get to sleep at night was by thinking about you. It wasn't like I was worried, but..."

"But you were lonely." He shifted just enough to press a kiss to the top of her head. "As was I."

"Yeah," she admitted. "I guess I was." Her voice lifted again. "But, the other night, when I was lying around trying to get to sleep... I was thinking a lot about that night, and what you said you wished for. There's something I always wanted to know, though, and..." He felt her fidget again before she spoke. "Did... did you really just wish for me, Hu? For something you already had? Or..."

"Truthfully, Pascal... I had another wish." He chuckled softly, winding his arms tighter around her middle. "I did not mean to deceive you. But as you said then, speaking it aloud might cause it not to come true. Isn't that right?"

"But..." Her voice softened again. "It's something that still hasn't come true, then...?"

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. He had never told her what it was that he had wished for on that night six months prior, when they had watched the meteor shower together. He had said in that moment that his wish had already been granted... but the truth was that he had been hoping for something else all along. He had, in fact, wished for her to become his wife. After six more months by her side, he was more sure of that desire than ever. But he knew that such a thing depended not only on him, but on her. And if what she wanted was different, or if her desires for him had faded, then...

He bent his head, resting his cheek against her own. "It has not," he answered. "Not yet."

"Oh..."

"But..." he began; then, changing his mind, redirected the question to her. "And you?"

"Wha - what do you mean?"

"Has your wish come true?" He held her tighter, feeling his arms tremble with the movement. "What was it that you wished for, Pascal?"

"Hu..." Her words came quietly, and there was something in her voice that was altogether unusual - something that sounded like sadness. "I can't tell you that, can I?"

"If it's a wish that I can grant, I will do everything in my power to make it come true." He nodded. "I promise you that."

"Well... I mean... part of it already has come true, you know? Because part of it..." He saw her lift a hand to her chest, pressing it over her heart. "Part of it depended on me. And it happened right away, not because I wished for it, but because..." She trailed off at the end of her sentence, laughing a little as she shook her head. "This is silly, isn't it?"

"Go on," he urged her. "I want to hear this."

"It's..." Her voice dropped in volume again. "It's not that I want to... push you, but... it's been a while since that night. Actually, it's been... it's been six months since then, hasn't it? And... honestly... I didn't forget what you promised to ask me. Because - " There was a pause, and then she finished her sentence, slowly, pronouncing the words deliberately. "Because that was my wish."

His eyes widened and he drew back, staring down at her, his mouth falling open. "Pascal - "

"I _seriously_ don't want to push you into something you aren't ready for, you know? I've done enough of that already." She began to speak rapidly, apparently oblivious to the shock he was experiencing, her hand tightening into a fist against the front of her uniform. "But I - Hu, I really didn't understand why you proposed to me, back then. I really didn't think I was anything special, or worth your attention... But you've never lied to me, and you always tell me you love me, even if I'm running around doing something crazy or causing problems for you. I guess I see now that you really do love me, even if that's the kind of person I am. And I really do love you, even if you can sometimes be a jerk without realizing it, or force me to take baths when I don't want to. But more than anything, I wanted to feel the same way that you felt about me. I wanted to be able to say yes, when you proposed to me again. And that's why I - " She glanced up, apparently catching sight of his shocked expression, and her voice weakened immediately. "... what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." He forced his mouth to close, swallowing, feeling a tremor deep within him. "But are you trying to tell me that you - that you want to..." The words refused to come, and he struggled for a moment, frowning. "You _want_ to - to m - "

"Marry you?" she supplied, helpfully, and the sweetness in her words sent another tremor through his body. He nodded, helplessly, watching as she shifted in his arms to face him. Her amber eyes were oddly bright, and she was smiling, but something in her demeanor seemed nervous, on edge. "I dunno, Hu," she said, looking up at him. "After you asked the first time, I... I guess I started wanting that. And right now, I want it more than ever."

He could barely speak. "Why?"

"_Why_?" she repeated, tilting her head to one side. "You're seriously asking me that?" He managed a dumbfounded nod, and she laughed a little, reaching up to lightly pinch one of his cheeks. "Because I _love_ you, dummy! It's because you're pretty much the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and because I don't want you to ever have to call me "Miss Pascal" in front of those military guys ever again. I - I want to be - " She suddenly turned her head away, a blush darkening her cheeks, and her next few words sounded uncharacteristically shy. "... I want to be Mrs. Oswell."

Something in his chest tightened and felt as if it might burst. He could do nothing but speak her name, stunned, his mind racing. "Pascal..."

"But - but if you don't want that, Hu, I understand, I mean - " He heard her laugh nervously. "... I'm not exactly easy to deal with, am I? So if you changed your mind or whatever, and that's why you haven't asked me again, then - "

"No," he interrupted, quietly; then, raising his voice, something seizing him hard and forcing him to action, "no. That isn't why I haven't asked you. How could you think such a thing?" He raised his hands to grip her shoulders tightly, frowning down into her face, hearing her squeak as she was pulled close to him. "I haven't changed my mind. I love you. I promised you that I would always love you. And that _will not_ change."

She blinked up at him. "But then..."

"I haven't asked you because I was afraid." He swallowed, fighting against the passion that threatened to overtake him. "I was too afraid to ask you what your feelings were. I was so comfortable living by your side that I thought asking that kind of question again might somehow ruin our lives together. I - " His gaze fell and he grimaced, not wanting to meet her gaze. "For the second time, I allowed my fear to control my actions. I told you that I would change, but in the end... I remain a weak man."

"Don't say something like that, Hu..."

"It is the truth." He shut his eyes tightly. "And until I have grown stronger, I do not deserve you. You speak your thoughts so easily, but I - "

"_Stop_ it!" she scolded him, and he suddenly felt her hands on his arms, heard her breathing as she drew closer. "You aren't weak at all! You're the strongest person I know. You're one of the reasons that_ I'm_ so strong." Her voice softened. "Remember when I was crying over Fourier yelling at me? You told me it wasn't my fault. You told me that we needed to go on together. That's why I was able to keep going. And when I got lonely, you were there for me. You gave up living with your dad in a huge mansion just so I would have a place to stay. And you were the one who told me I was good enough to take the position the prez offered me with Strahta. _You're_ the reason I was strong enough to keep going after I got here." He opened his eyes to see her staring up at him, frowning hard. "You aren't weak. A weak person wouldn't have been able to make _me_ so strong!"

He drew in a breath, stunned by her conviction. "Pascal..." he murmured. "Do you really believe in such a thing ?"

"I believe it with all of my heart, Hu. I _know_ you deserve me. We deserve each other, you know?" She leaned up to him, kissing him gently on one cheek. "And until you see how strong you are... if that's what you need to see, then... I'll wait for you as long as you need me to." She smiled sweetly. "We'll get there, won't we? Someday..."

"We will..." he began, echoing her; then, suddenly, shook his head. "No," he said, quietly at first, then more firmly, "no. That isn't right. If you are strong enough to believe in me, I must be strong enough to believe in you - in the feelings you have for me. It is exactly as you said. A weak person would not have been able to do those things." He drew in a breath, watching the smile die on her lips, a confused expression crossing her face. "I am sorry," he apologized, "for allowing my fear to intervene. But I was overpowered by my feelings for you, and I..." He tightened his grip on her shoulders, allowing the words he had kept hidden for months to spill from his mouth. "I understand your feelings. My wish was the same as yours. I wished for you to become my wife."

Her amber eyes went wide. "_Hu_ - "

"What would you say, if I asked you?" He felt his body begin to tremble, but fought against it, steeling himself as he stared down at the woman in his arms. "If I proposed to you right now - "

"Yes."

"... yes?"

"Yes," she repeated, and this time she smiled. "That's what I would say. But you'd have to _actually_ propose to get that answer officially. Right now, it's just pure speculation." She winked. "I mean, who knows? Maybe I'd change my mind at the last second - "

"Then - right now." He seized her hands in his, clasping them together, looking hard into her eyes. "Promise me, right now, that you will become my wife."

"Are... are you really asking?"

"I am really asking." Despite the nervousness that shook his body, he managed a smile, gripping her hands hard between his own. "I know this is not the ideal time and place, and your ring is with Marian, but I - I cannot wait any longer. I must know." He bowed his head, closing his eyes. "Pascal. Will you honor me with your hand in marriage?"

"Holy crap, you're serious..." Her words softened into nothing, and he sat still, unmoving, waiting for her response. There was a pause before he heard a noise - a soft giggle - and then it was a laugh, a truly joyous laugh, one that brought back memories of the time she'd thrown her arms around him and tackled him to the floor of her bedroom in Amarcia. And before she said it, he knew in that instant what her answer would be, because the only time Pascal laughed that way was when something had made her happy. "Hubert Oswell," she said, laughing merrily, her voice bright and full of love, "I accept your proposal."

He opened his eyes, lifting his head tentatively. "Th - that means - "

"That means _yes_! A hundred thousand billion times _yes_!" Her hands broke free of his grasp, and before he could react she had thrown her arms around his neck. She collided with him hard, still laughing, her amber eyes wide and shining. "Let's get married, Hu!" she exclaimed, smiling up at him.

"Pascal..." Hubert was unsure whether to laugh or cry, but her happiness was contagious, and he felt a smile of his own claim his mouth in an instant. He shook his head from side to side, a laugh bubbling up in the back of his throat, twining his arms together around her slender waist. "I cannot... believe this," he said, his voice unsteady with emotion. "Only a few hours ago, I was doubting whether or not you even wanted this, but - but now..."

"Forget a few hours ago. _Now_ we're engaged." She grinned. "Right?"

"Pascal... You have made me the happiest man in Strahta." He bowed his head close to hers, and as the campfire burned on brightly at their backs and only the stars to watch them, they sealed their promise with a long, sweet kiss.


	3. this is the future

**author's note: **I got wordy, so there's another chapter after this. Don't worry, though, it's short. And sappy.

* * *

**futatsu boshi**  
part three - _this is the future  
_

* * *

The next morning, just as the shops and businesses in Yu Liberte were beginning to open their doors, the men of Strahta's third Intelligence Division marched through the city. At the front of the formation, keeping pace for the others, was a rather interesting group of five: Hubert, Pascal, the newly appointed aide Gabriel, and an injured Raymond leaning heavily on the arm of Arnauld. While the men behind them had fallen into silence as they marched toward the capitol building, Pascal was chattering excitedly with Gabriel (who had proven to be a fan of her work) while Raymond had begun to moan about his injuries. Hubert was the only one who had not spoken, since leaving the desert - and that was because his mind had taken him elsewhere.

After his proposal the evening before, neither he nor Pascal had been able to sleep. They had sat together in front of the campfire for hours, talking more easily than they had for the past few weeks. Pascal had confessed that she had wanted to feel strongly enough about their relationship to merit marriage, which had been her wish - and two months prior, she had come to the realization that she wanted to stay in Strahta permanently. At the same time, Hubert had admitted his fear of her rejection, which she'd all but laughed off; she had reassured him that her love for him was real and true, and showed no sign of ending. "I mean, come on, Hu," she'd said, smiling up at him, "I kinda left everything for you. Don't you think I was maybe hoping all along that we'd end up together like this?"

Their talk had inevitably turned to their engagement and wedding, and that topic had occupied much of their conversation. Hubert had expressed a desire for a short engagement - less than three months - and Pascal had agreed immediately. Althought she had never struck him as the type to dream about weddings, much less becoming a bride herself, she'd had several specific ideas about their wedding. She wanted it to take place outside, "instead of in a stuffy old castle in Windor" (as she'd referenced Asbel and Cheria's ceremony), and her only demand was that there be no dancing, "'cause I can't dance to save my life." He'd oblidged her, laughing, because he had remembered their single attempt to dance together at the aforementioned wedding and how many times they had stepped on each other's toes.

As the sun had come up over the desert and Hubert had prepared himself to wake his men for their final sweep of the area, he had found himself thinking about the very same thing that entered his mind again in the present, as he strode up the streets of Yu Liberte: his luck. He glanced to where Pascal walked with Gabriel, her amber eyes wide as she listened to him talk rapidly about some theory or another, and a small smile played with his lips. He never would have guessed, months before, that the Amarcian who had brought him so much grief would someday bring him just as much joy. He was exceptionally lucky to have not only fallen in love with her, but also to have found his feelings eventually returned. He was lucky to have not been left by her, when his behavior hadn't merited her continued affections. And he was amazingly lucky to have found himself engaged to her. What were the chances, he wondered, of such a thing?

Noticing that they were entering the town square, Hubert's mind brought him back to reality. He raised a hand, hearing the soldiers marching behind him instantly come to a halt, and shook his head once to clear his mind. As he stopped in place, he turned first to address Arnauld, who still supported Raymond on one arm. "You may continue on," he said quietly, gesturing in the direction of a tall building to the north. "Please take him to the medical center. You have my deepest gratitude for your assistance."

"Lieutenant, I..." Raymond grimaced. "It isn't really that bad..."

"Unfortunately, sir, with the way you have been complaining this morning, I think it is..." Arnauld smiled nervously down at the aide, then nodded at Hubert. "I will accompany him there. I will speak with you later, Lieutenant Oswell."

"Thank you." The lieutenant turned to his other side, leaning forward slightly to make eye contact with Pascal. "Miss Pascal," he began, and saw her immediately roll her eyes, "you are welcome to leave as well, if you would like. However, I feel you should report to Mr. Paradine about your involvement with this matter."

"I'm staying here." She waved a hand at him. "No point in leaving now. If you're gonna go make a report, I might as well go with you."

"Understood." He cleared his throat, sparing a glance at Gabriel before turning to address the group of soldiers before him. "Men," he began, "I wish to thank you all for your dedication to our eradication efforts. Because of your skills, bravery, and quick thinking, we have not experienced any casualties or serious injuries. With the exception of Raymond's..." He paused, deciding that "highly misguided attempt at heroics" was not a phrase he wished to repeat to his unit. "... accident," he said instead, "even our unexpected run-in with the Stormheart Dragons yesterday evening was handled in the safest way possible. I am now confident that the areas surrounding our city are clear of any danger, and am unspeakably proud of the way this unit has accomplished this task."

There was a low murmur among the men, some of which had broken into smiles, while a few others traded visible high-fives. The lieutenant suppressed a smile of his own at this, giving them a moment to celebrate. He understood, somehow, that his praise had become highly valued. "At this time," he continued, "you are all dismissed for the remainder of the week. Please report to your normal posts again on Monday at eight o'clock sharp for new orders."

There was an audible gasp from one of the soldiers. "Lieutenant, you're - you're giving us time off?"

"Yes." Hubert finally allowed the smile to appear, folding his arms together. "It would not be fair to run you ragged for ten days straight without some kind of a break, would it?"

"I - I guess not, sir, but - "

Someone else spoke up at the back of the crowd. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Lieutenant Oswell?"

The joke sent the entire unit in the direction of laughter, and even Gabriel chuckled, exchanging a smile with his commander. Pascal hooted, covering her mouth with her hat, looking away from them all. "Yes, yes," Hubert said, shaking his head, "I understand that this is unexpected. However, I meant what I said regarding your performance. I am extraordinarily proud of each and every one of you. Mr. Paradine instructed me to allow this unit paid leave as required, following the completion of our duties. As such, you are being given time to do with as you wish." He surveyed the crowd. "We will reconvene on Monday morning. Is that clear?"

The group's response was loud and surprisingly cheerful. "Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed." He raised a hand in a wave. "Thank you, and please enjoy your break."

The men needed no further instruction: they scattered like ants, walking or running in the directions of their homes. A small group banded together and headed in the direction of a pub down the street, hollering something about a celebration. At Hubert's side, Gabriel laughed, shaking his head slowly as he looked up at his commanding officer. "Lieutenant, this is unlike you. Did Mr. Paradine really say we could have paid time off?"

"He did."

"No offense, sir, but..." The blonde absently smoothed down his hair, tilting his head slightly. "In all the time I've been in your unit, you've never done something this... _nice_. Did something happen? Or..."

Pascal spoke up suddenly, taking Hubert by one arm before giving the young man a wink. "Let's just say he got some good news."

"... good news, Miss Pascal?"

"You'll understand what she means in a few days, I'm sure." Hubert chuckled. Under normal circumstances, he was sure that he would have yanked his arm away from Pascal's and denied everything, but the truth was that he was too tired - and too happy - to do such a thing. He faced the blonde soldier with a nod, unfolding his arms. "You are dismissed, Gabriel. If you would kindly meet me early on Monday morning, we will discuss your role within the unit at that time."

"Ye -_ yes_, sir!"

"That's all for now. Please go get some rest."

"Yes, sir, I will! And - Miss Pascal - " The young man bowed to the Amarcian, a smile crossing his face. "Thank you for your help, and for speaking to me. It really has been an honor."

"Sure!" She beamed up at him as he straightened. "Lemme know if you ever feel like ditching the military. It sounds like you have a pretty darn good grasp on physics, and Arn and I could probably use some more help in R&D - " Hubert abruptly turned to glare down at her, and she laughed loudly, placing her hat back on her head. "Never mind," she said instead, gently squeezing the lieutenant's arm. "I think I said too much."

"Thanks," Gabriel responded, smiling at them both before bowing a second time and turning to leave. "See you Monday, Lieutenant Oswell!" he called over his shoulder before breaking into a run.

"Well." Hubert carefully pulled his arm out of Pascal's grasp, looking around to ensure all of his men had departed before speaking again. "That takes care of that, I suppose."

The Amarcian grinned, lifting a hand to pat him hard on one shoulder. "That wasn't too shabby, Hu. I knew you were gonna give them some time off, but five full days... that was way nice."

He shrugged, looking away from her. "I suppose. It wasn't as if I was doing anything particularly gracious. After ten nights in the desert eradicating monsters, it only seemed fair."

"Yeah, but they all seemed pretty surprised..."

"Unfortunately, my reputation as a strict, authoritative leader of the military was well-deserved. My actions in the past may have been... less than admirable." He turned, beginning to walk, and she immediately followed, keeping pace by his side. "But I feel that things have changed in the last several months. I see no reason to be strict with the men who have worked so hard for me, and for the peace of this republic."

"Hmmm..." Her voice was playful. "It's almost like you have a reason to be happy now, or something..."

"Perhaps I do." He looked down at her, watching her yawn suddenly, one hand held over her mouth as she did so. "We should hurry to the capitol building," he said, "and report to the president. I had hoped to hear from Fourier prior to making my report, but we will just have to hope that she is able to come to Strahta and investigate the dragons at a later time."

"Yeah, it's really weird that she didn't get... back to m..." Pascal yawned again, loudly this time, her eyes shut tightly. "... back to me," she tried again, laughing softly as she finished her sentence. "I think all of my energy just ran out. I just got super tired all of a sudden."

"You should have slept last night."

"You too!" She made a face at him. "I was gonna go to sleep if you did, but you just sat awake the whole time talking about weddings and stuff!"

"If I recall, Pascal, you were the one who brought up the subject. I had to spend nearly an hour explaining how such ceremonies work - "

"Bull_crap_! It was only like ten minutes!"

He gritted his teeth. "I am quite sure that it was longer than that, considering how many times I had to explain to you the role I played in my brother's wedding!"

"The two of you are fighting this early in the morning?" A familiar voice to their left caused them both to turn, surprised, and Hubert sighed as he saw Marian approaching them, a canvas bag slung over one shoulder. She smiled sweetly at them both in turn as she arrived in front of where they stood, causing them to slow to a stop in the middle of the pathway. "I'm glad I caught you, Hubert," she said. "I was running late to my shop this morning. I was hoping I didn't miss you..."

"No. To be quite honest, I had completely forgotten about the ring."

Pascal's eyebrows lifted. "You _forgot_?"

He sighed again, glancing down at her. "I am just as tired as you. I am certain I would have remembered eventually."

"Um..." Marian looked from Pascal to Hubert. "Not to interfere, but... I thought this was supposed to be a secret?"

"My plans changed abruptly." He allowed himself a small smile, seeing the annoyed expression on Pascal's face immediately disappear. "Without going into more detail than is necessary," he remarked, "my intentions are no longer much of a secret to anyone."

"Oh! Congrats!" The navy-haired woman grinned, lowering her shoulder to allow the canvas back to slide into her hand. "Hold on a second, then. I'll give you these right now. I took them home with me last night, so they're in here somewhere..."

"... _these_?"

"My plans changed, too." Marian winked. "You'll see. Just hold on while I..." She opened the bag and began to rummage through it. "There's one, and... okay, here's the other!" She pulled two small carved wooden boxes from the bag before sliding it back up on her shoulder, and as both Hubert and Pascal leaned forward to inspect them, curious, the grin on her mouth spread. "I had a friend of mine look at that gem you left me, and the base was definitely crystallized water cryas. The red stuff inside, though, was even better than I thought."

Pascal blinked up at the taller woman. "So it wasn't fire cryas after all?"

"Hubert told you, huh?" Marian looked to Hubert for confirmation, who nodded, and at that she laughed, shaking her head. "Actually, it was. That's what makes this so great. I was starting to suspect it was ruby or something, but my scientist friend said it was an ancient crystalization of fire cryas - almost like a fossil. What probably happened is that the pieces got so hard and rigid with age that they lost all their fire properties. They got rolled up with a couple pieces of water cryas during some sort of fire or explosion and were melded together, then smoothed by the sand in the desert. It's almost a technical impossibility, apparently, but that's what happened."

"Wow..." Pascal's eyes were practically shining. "That's amazing! Can you imagine how much time it would have taken for pieces of cryas from Fendel's valkines to get over here to Strahta's?"

"I _know_, right?" Marian laughed. "Anyway, after I had the gem looked at, I struck a test ring first. I didn't want to mess anything up or risk a huge explosion, and it was good practice for working with the existing ring. So, since I figured the two of you would need a full set..." She handed one box to Hubert and the other to Pascal. "These are yours. I hope you like them."

Hubert opened the box in his hands and drew in a breath, surprised. The ring inside was simple but striking, a thick gold band set with a small square cut of the blue and red gem in the center. Although he had given no thought to the way he would have liked his wedding band to look, he knew right away that he was staring at the very thing he would have wanted. "Marian," he breathed, "this is... superb."

"It's honestly just a test ring. There are a couple flaws on it, if you look close enough." She shrugged. "Hers is better. That ore was really something to work with, but it melded with gold easily enough, so - "

"Holy heck, this is BEAUTIFUL." Pascal squealed as she looked into her own box, and Hubert leaned over to see what she was staring at, drawing in another deep breath as he did so. There were two rings in hers, which he guessed to be an engagement ring and a wedding band. The engagement ring was a modified version of her derris ore ring, now polished and shining with a circular cut of the gem set in the center, surrounded with a thin line of gold to keep it in place. The band wasn't as thick as Hubert's, but he observed that they seemed to be the same color, perhaps thanks to some careful polishing on Marian's part. The wedding band, meanwhile, was a thin cut of the gem itself, a slender sky blue band with thin ruby swirls running through it. "Wow," the Amarcian gasped, looking up to the navy-haired woman, "this is really,_ really_ pretty..."

"I must agree." Hubert adjusted his glasses, straightening. "You must give yourself more credit for your work. They are gorgeous."

"Awww, Hubert, you're gonna make me blush." Marian waved a hand at him. "But I'm glad you like them. Once I got the test ring out of the way, it really wasn't much work at all." She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "Listen, I have to get to my shop before any customers go running away thinking I'm out today, but - "

"Hold on." He lifted an eyebrow. "I haven't paid you yet."

"So here's the funny thing about that." She grinned. "I said I had a scientist friend look at the gem, right? He was so amazed by the whole thing that he offered me a ton of gald for it on the spot. I figured his offer was about what you'd be paying me, and you really didn't seem too interested in getting the thing back, so I just kinda assumed you'd be okay with trading what was left of the gem for the rings."

"I see." The blue-haired man chuckled. "You assumed correctly. But still, it does not seem fair to not pay you anything else for such hard work."

"Seriously, it's fine! I consider it a favor for a friend, anyway. Remember how you went out and found my tools that one time? I owed you one." She smiled down at Pascal. "As long as you promise to invite me to your wedding, we'll be even."

Pascal smiled, nodding once, wrapping her hands around the box she held. "You'll be the very first one to get an invitation!"

"Thank you, Marian. You cannot fathom how much this means to me - rather, to the both of us." Hubert bowed deeply; then, before Pascal could react, reached over to pluck the carved wooden box from her hands. "These," he said, closing the box and stacking it on top of the one already his hands, "will stay in my care for the time being."

"H - hey, Hu, those are mine!"

"Not yet, I'm afraid." He felt himself smirk as he tucked both boxes into the pocket on the inside of his coat. "First we must make our report to the president. Afterwards, I will decide when you may have your ring."

She pouted, puffing up her cheeks. "That is_ totally_ not fair."

Marian laughed at them both, shaking her head from side to side. "I could stand here and watch you two be adorable all day, but I have to run. Let me know if you have any problems with the rings, okay? And polishing is on the house, thanks to my special lifetime guarantee." She winked at Hubert before turning on her heel, jogging away from them. "Catch you later!" she called over her shoulder.

Pascal was too busy pouting to respond to Marian. She stood up on her toes, glaring at the lieutenant, placing her hands on her hips. "Hu..."

"Come on, Pascal. We must go to see the president." He glanced in the direction of the building that stood in the distance. "We mustn't delay our report any longer. He is expecting me at any moment."

She narrowed her eyes at him, leaning closer. "Hubert..."

"Oh no, my full name. You must be_ furious_ with me. Whatever will I do?" He chuckled, turning away from her and beginning to make his way up the street. "Let's get moving. We have wasted enough time."

"Hu! _Seriously!_ You _can't_ just take my ring away from me!" She stormed after him, hands still pressed firmly to her hips. "I was super excited to get it, and then you were all like "nope!" and grabbed it! You already got all propose-y with me, and I already said yes, and - Hu! Are you even _listening_ to me?"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Geeeez..." She groaned as she fell into a pace beside him, lifting one hand to rub her forehead beneath the brim of her hat. "I don't know why I would_ ever_ agree to marry you..."

* * *

Hours later, Hubert paced toward the front door of his rented home with his key in one hand and a bouquet of red roses in the other. Buying flowers had been a surprisingly embarrassing experience - not only because he had stood in the florist's shop for nearly ten minutes with no real idea what to choose, but also because the florist's pair of young and giggling female assistants had recognized him. They had done nothing but bombard him with questions about who he was buying flowers for, and why, and whether or not there was any truth to the rumor that he was dating the "eccentric" head of Strahta's research and development division. He had been reminded again of Marian's comments -_ everybody talks around here_ - and had done his best to answer their questions without giving too much away.

After traveling to the capitol building with Pascal, the two had made a report to Dylan Paradine about the current condition of the deserts of Strahta. Pascal had rather easily explained her presence by stating that she had been on a walk east of the city with Arnauld when they had noticed the incoming dragons. Paradine hadn't asked for any explanation beyond that, only expressing relief that both she and her assistant were both safe. He had seemed concerned by the sudden appearance of the dragons, and had immediately dispatched a man to Oul Raye to contact some of the biologists employed there for their opinions on the matter. Fourier had never sent a response to Pascal's message, and it was difficult to say whether or not the bodies of the Stormheart Dragons would remain in the desert intact long enough to be studied.

Once their report had been finished, Paradine had dismissed them both, asking them to return home for the remainder of the day, if not the rest of the week. Pascal, whose yawning had been growing quite frequent by that point, had readily agreed, but Hubert had decided to stay. He'd had a written report to file, after all, and information to relay on to the department of tourism regarding safe traveling conditions. After Pascal had departed for home, he had spent the rest of his afternoon at his desk, working hard on several different tasks. He had left shortly after four, stopping at the florist before making his way home.

He climbed the short steps to the front door and slid the key into the lock, turning it once before twisting the knob. As he entered the front room and hung his key on a knob, he heard two small thumps above his head - the sound of Pascal's feet hitting the floor in her bedroom, he guessed - and he smiled to himself, striding into the kitchen as the door closed behind him. "Hello, Pascal," he called, hearing her come flying down the stairs. "I'm home."

"Hey, Hu!" Pascal appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with the back of one hand. She was dressed in a simple tank top and loose pajama pants, and Hubert could tell immediately that she had been sleeping for quite some time, only to be woken by the sound of the door. "Welcome h - " She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes opening wide as she spotted the bouquet in his hand. "Are those for me?"

"They are." He smiled slightly, gesturing for her to come to him. "I know that flowers are an impractical gift, but I thought that the occasion merited it."

"They're..." She moved across the kitchen to meet him, her expression softening into a smile of her own as he handed her the roses. "They're really pretty," she said, lifting her gaze to his. "I don't think anybody's ever given me flowers before." She looked back to the red blooms. "What do they mean?"

"Hmm?"

"You know, in the language of flowers or whatever. Don't they all have different meanings and stuff?" She lowered her head to the bouquet, and he saw her sniff cautiously at the roses. "Ooh, they smell good, too..."

He chuckled, reaching out to gently smooth her tangled locks of hair. "I can't say I'm fully educated on the meanings of flowers," he remarked, "but I believe red roses are a sign of love."

"That makes sense." She smiled up at him again. "Thanks."

"You are very welcome." He bent to kiss her forehead. "Would you like your other... gift, while I am thinking of it?"

"I'm finally going to get it?" If the Amarcian wasn't awake before, she became so in that instant, springing forward and seizing Hubert's hand in hers. "I've been waiting all day!" she exclaimed, laughing. "I was thinking about getting dressed and going into work again just so I could come bug you about it, but... well, then I got totally tired and stuff..."

"You needed to sleep. So I am very glad that you waited." He pressed a second kiss to her temple before carefully detaching her hand from his, then taking the bouquet of roses from her. He placed the flowers on their kitchen table behind him before reaching into the inside pocket of his coat, withdrawing one of the small wooden boxes that had been tucked away there all day. "I suppose," he began, feeling somewhat amused, "that we should consider this my_ formal_ proposal, now that I have a ring to offer you."

"Ooh..." She watched him with wide eyes. "So you're gonna get down on one knee and spout off poems about how much you love me and stuff?"

He exhaled, the corner of his mouth turning up as he looked down at her. "If I must..."

She laughed merrily, shaking her head. "Aww, Hu, come on. You know I'm not gonna make you do all that. Besides, I already know how much you love me." She reached up to ruffle his hair. "But if you feel like you have to ask me again, my answer's still gonna be the same."

"I would hope that your mind would not be changed so quickly." He opened the box and retrieved the gold ring from within, sparing a glance at the additional band inside before closing the lid again. The small box was placed on the table beside the roses, and he knelt before her on one knee, raising his gaze to hers. "Pascal," he started, his voice steady and serious, "will you - "

"Aw, stop it, Hu, you know what I'm gonna say! Yes!" She cut him off with another laugh, leaping onto him. He fell to the floor with a yell and a thud, but the happy smile on her mouth was somehow enough to dull the pain he felt as she landed on top of him. A laugh crept out of his own mouth, and he wordlessly raised the ring to her, allowing her to snatch it from his fingers. She slid it on the ring finger on her left hand before holding it up in front of them, her amber eyes practically sparkling as she admired the band. "Gosh," she breathed, "it's even prettier than I remembered..."

"I am glad that you like it." He reached up and wrapped his hand around her wrist, tugging her down close to him. She giggled as he pressed his lips to hers, bringing them together in a long kiss. When they broke apart she was still laughing, her eyes wide and bright as they remained fixed on his. "I can tell," he remarked, his voice soft, "just how happy this has made you."

"I'm the happiest girl in the world, Hu." She winked. "And don't you forget it."

"I truly regret ever doubting that this would happen. Seeing you this way..." He breathed out, caressing her cheek with his fingertips. "I shouldn't have waited so long. We could have been wed months before, had I not hesitated."

"Aw, hey, don't beat yourself up over it. What matters is that we were together the whole time, you know?" She leaned into his touch, her eyes slowly closing. "And this means we're always gonna be together no matter what. Right?"

"Yes." He placed a kiss against her lips, unable to keep himself from smiling. "If forever exists, I will surely spend it by your side."

"Aww, Hu... geez... you're gonna make me cry."

They were in the middle of another long kiss when a knocking sound startled them both. Pascal lifted her head, blinking first in the direction of the front door, then at the man who lay on the floor below her. "Umm," she murmured, "were you expecting somebody...?"

"No. Were you?"

"Nope..." She crawled off of him, jumping to her feet as he rose beside her, quickly straightening the coat of his uniform. "Maybe it's Arn?" she murmured, absently tugging down on the front of her tank top. "He might have wanted to check up on me..."

"Hmm." Hubert exited the kitchen into the sitting room, glancing again at his clothing to ensure it was straight before turning the knob and opening the front door. Before him stood a familiar Amarcian, but not the one he had been expecting. "Fourier!" he exclaimed; then, seeing who was behind her, "Captain Malik!"

"Hello, Hubert." Fourier gave the blue-haired man a half-smile, folding her arms together. "I am sorry to call on you so unexpectedly, but I was hoping to speak with my sister."

"Fourier!" Pascal immediately squeezed her way past where Hubert stood in the doorway, throwing her arms around her older sister's neck. "I missed you soooooooooo much!" she exclaimed, squeezing tight. "You got my message, huh? It's a little late, but you came to see the dragons, right? Ohmigosh, you will _never_ believe everything that's happened - "

"Pascal - " The older Amarcian coughed, reaching up to pull on her sister's arms. "You're - choking - me - "

"Oh - sorry, Sis!" Pascal drew back, leaving her hands on her sister's shoulders, squeezing them tight. "I'm just so happy to see you! You've never been here to Strahta, have you?" She laughed. "We'll have to show you around, but I'll warn you right now that it is totally hot here 24/7 - "

"Hold on a second." Malik spoke up from where he stood behind Fourier, abruptly reaching forward to seize Pascal by one wrist. He lifted her effortlessly into the air by her arm, frowning first at her hand, then turning his head to blink down at her, dumbfounded. "Is that," he began to ask, slowly, "what I think it is?"

She smiled up at him, apparently not caring that she was dangling in the air, her bare feet hanging almost a foot off the ground. "Hiya, Captain!" she greeted him cheerfully. "I guess I could say I missed you too, but we just saw each other not too long ago, and - "

"Hubert!" Malik redirected his attention to the lieutenant, who could do nothing but sigh, anticipating the older man's observation. "Is Pascal wearing a wedding ring?"

Fourier's eyes went wide. "LET ME SEE THAT," she demanded, her voice turning furious in an instant. She seized her sister's hand as Malik lowered her back to the ground, and there was a moment of dead silence before she practically screamed. "_Pascal_! When - when did _this_ happen - ?"

"Hehe..." Pascal grinned, willingly holding out her hand to allow Fourier a better look at the ring. "Just now, actually."

"What do you _mean_, just now?"

"She isn't lying. I formally proposed only minutes ago. Had you arrived any earlier, you might have witnessed it for yourselves." Hubert attempted to steady himself as both Malik and Fourier's eyes snapped to him, and he cleared his throat, taking a step forward to place a hand against Pascal's shoulder. "We are engaged to be married," he explained, "and the two of you are the first to know."

Malik and Fourier's reactions couldn't have been more different: the captain's face broke into a wide grin and he reached out to clap Hubert hard on the shoulder, laughing; the Amarcian, meanwhile, sucked in a deep breath, shrieking, slapping her hands over her open mouth to stifle the sound. "Pascal," she uttered, her tone one of mingled disbelief and frustration as her arms fell back to her sides, "when were you planning to _tell_ me about this? I had no idea that you two were - were considering _marriage_!"

"Come on, Fourier. You're telling me you're surprised by this? I saw it coming a mile away." Malik laughed heartily, only to recoil at the sight of a smouldering glare on the face of the woman beside him. "Er," he remarked, lifting a hand to scratch his head, "then again..."

"But... Sis, you said yourself that you expected us to get married, didn't you?" Pascal blinked up at her sister, tilting her head to one side. "I don't get it. What's the big deal?"

"Yes, but..." Fourier lifted two fingers to her forehead, as if she was suddenly suffering from a strong headache. "Based on the way you always talked, I had no idea that you were taking this relationship so seriously! You act as if everything you do is on a _whim_. I don't know how Hubert didn't leave you after a mere month of putting up with your ridiculous habits."

"Ridiculous habits? As if!" Pascal rolled her eyes. "_I'm_ not the one who holes myself up in a lab all the time."

"_I'm_ not the one who abandoned my sister at a moment's notice to move to _Strahta_ with a _boy_ under the guise of love!"

Malik winced at that remark, exchanging a meaningful glance with Hubert. "I think you forget just how young _you_ are, Fourier."

"Perhaps we ought to all step inside, instead of standing out here shouting at each other." Hubert took a step back, gesturing to the open front door. "Please, come in. There is plenty of room for everyone."

"Hmph." Fourier stormed through the door first, followed by Malik, then Pascal and Hubert. The door had been closed for no more than five seconds when the older Amarcian rounded on her sister again, glaring down at her. "Why are you home, anyway? We queried after you at the capitol and were told you had taken the day off! Are you _already_ neglecting your duties to Strahta?"

"Geez, lay off me!" The younger woman shook her head. "Hu and I were out in the desert all night last night fighting those stupid crazy dragons. I came home to get some sleep, but my workaholic boyfriend here - " She jerked a thumb at Hubert. " - decided to stick it out the rest of the afternoon."

"Technically, I am now your workaholic fiance." The blue-haired man allowed himself a slight smile as he made this remark, adjusting his glasses. "And what Pascal says is true. This is precisely why we called you here. I have spent the last several days in the desert with my men, eradicating many of the remaining monsters that posed a threat to travelers. Yesterday, a group of Stormheart Dragons attacked our camp without warning. There were no casualties, thankfully, but their size and behavior were a cause for concern."

"We saw them." Malik spoke up as he settled down into a chair on one end of the room, removing his weapon from the holster on his back and placing it aside. "Before we went to the capitol, we traveled out to the desert and had a look at the bodies of the dragons. They were a little... charred... but recognizable, for the most part."

Pascal beamed at him. "Told you my fire artes were getting better."

He chuckled. "I had no doubt that was your work. Hubert couldn't cast to save his life."

"I'll thank you to keep your comments regarding my abilities to yourself, Captain Malik." Hubert looked to Fourier, watching her sink reluctantly onto the cushions of the couch against the back wall. "Well, then," he said, "did you learn anything? Our main concern was that they could be undergoing some sort of new change from the influence of Fodra."

"I really don't think you have anything to worry about. It looks like you simply found a group of dragons that had been roaming the region in search of a safe place to rest." The Amarcian shrugged nonchalantly. "Based on the size and strength of their wings, they did an unusual amount of flying. But their bodies lacked any of the evidence that other monsters showed as influence of either King Richard's reign or Fodra's elevated eleth levels. Though they were physically unusual, a few quick tests proved that they were unaffected by anything but normal evolutionary patterns."

"I see." The blue-haired man lifted a hand to his chin. "So perhaps the strongest dragons from the Strahtan deserts banded together..."

"Yes, something like that." She nodded. "You may recall my explanation of "survival of the fittest." In this case, the fittest dragons appear to have formed a cohesive unit. Their wings indicate that they did far more traveling than resting, meaning the eradication efforts more than likely caused them to continuously seek new places to hide. Stormheart Dragons do not typically attack unless provoked, but months or even years of being ushered from one nest to another might cause them to begin attacking humans - including innocent travelers."

"That makes a whole lot of sense, doesn't it, Hu?" Pascal looked up at the man who stood beside her. "Those things were crazy vicious. I guess I'd fly around snapping at people if I kept losing my home, too. Hrm..." She tilted her head to one side. "I feel kinda bad for them now."

"Don't start with that. You sound like Asbel." Malik shook his head. "What's done is done. It wouldn't have been safe to let monsters like that live for very much longer."

"I agree. Had they come peacefully upon our camp like some of the other creatures in the area, we might have allowed them to live. However, we risked a great loss of life if their violent actions were left unchecked." Hubert looked back to Fourier. "Thank you. I will be certain to report your findings to the president sometime tomorrow. Or, if you plan on staying in Strahta for the evening, you are more than welcome to accompany me to give a report of your own."

"I may take you up on that offer." Fourier crossed her legs, one corner of her mouth turning up in a smile. "I am eager to see the kind of changes that my sister has made to the city. I have been hearing rumors about everything from a cooling system to electric-powered stoves and food storage."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Pascal beamed at her sister, apparently already having forgotten about their quarrel. "So how are things going in Fendel? You guys were checking up on the hot water system in Zavhert, right? I'm totally sorry to have called you here while you were working and stuff, but - "

"I don't think Fendel's status is something you should be concerned with right now." Malik leaned forward with a grin. "You two are really getting married, aren't you?"

"Umm... yeah." Pascal laughed somewhat nervously, as if the question had caught her off guard, glancing down at the ring on her left hand. "That's the plan..."

"I was wondering how long it would take Hubert to gather up the courage to propose to you." The sandy-haired man laughed. "It seems like just yesterday that he was standing in the Oswell manor trying to come up with an excuse so he could reject the president's daughter and go after you instead." He grinned at the lieutenant. "I really thought you should have told the man a story about all of the good-looking women waiting for you at every port."

"Cap - _Captain_!"

"Whoa, seriously? When did _that_ happen?"

"It - it wasn't anything like that; just ignore him!" Hubert seized Pascal's hand in his own, trying to ignore the heat of embarrassment that had abruptly risen up into his cheeks - and the confused expression that had crossed her face. "We are," he began, looking from Malik to Fourier, "planning to marry in the spring. Although we have not yet set a date or location, I would be honored if the both of you would be in attendance."

"Yeah, you guys _have_ to be there!" Pascal chimed in, beaming at them both. "Hu and I were up all last night talking about it. I'm totally going to ask Sophie to be the flower girl, and Poisson to carry the rings, and - " She and Hubert both noticed a suddenly sad expression on Fourier's face, and the younger Amarcian took a step forward, tentatively, her voice softening. "Fourier... what's wrong?"

"Nothing; I - " The older woman turned her head away, lifting a hand to her throat. "... it isn't as if I am unhappy for you, Pascal, but I... I wish our mother could have been here to see this moment. And..." Her voice grew emotional, as if she was choked up. "You will have no one to walk you down the aisle..."

"Oh, that's just silly!" Pascal shook her head. "I was kinda thinking you could walk me there, Fourier."

"But - Pascal - " Fourier groaned. "That's _not_ how that works..."

"Traditionally, that role falls to a father figure to fulfill, since the tradition is for the bride's father to give her away to her groom." Hubert glanced down at the woman to his side. "But that is something neither of us have, at this moment."

"Well, then." Malik chuckled, crossing his arms. "If it's a father you need, I'm old enough to be a dad to either of you. So I might as well step in and play the part, right?"

"Captain..." Pascal drew in a breath, her eyes widening. "You'd really do that?"

"We're all one big happy family here, aren't we?" He laughed heartily, apparently oblivious to the dirty look Fourier was shooting him and the dumbfounded one on Hubert's face. "Tell you what," he said, nodding, "Fourier and I will both do the honors. Between the two of us, I think we should more than make up for not having any parents around."

"That would really mean a lot to me..." She smiled, looking up to Hubert. "What do you think, Hu?"

"It's a bit... unorthodox, but I suppose it would work." He chuckled. "And that solves the only dillema we had upon discussing the arrangements yesterday evening." He glanced to Fourier, who had finally shifted on the couch to face them again. "I assume such a thing is agreeable to you, Fourier?"

"I can't say I have any objections." She wiped hurridly at her eyes as if she had been crying. "It's just so hard to believe that my little sister is planning to marry..."

"Aww, Sis..."

"We should celebrate." Malik straightened in his chair, a grin crossing his face. "How about dinner and a round of drinks? It'll be my treat. I'm sure there's somewhere around here where a man can get a good meal - right, Hubert?"

"Captain Malik, that would be very kind of you, but there's no need - "

"Nonsense." The tall man rose from his chair, crossing the room to place a hand heavily against Hubert's shoulder, the force nearly knocking the lieutenant's glasses off. "You've got a long road ahead of you if you've got your heart set on marrying Pascal. We might as well start things off on a good note, right?"

Fourier and Pascal exchanged glances before they both fixed Malik with an identical expression of annoyance. "What, exactly," Fourier began, "are you implying?"

"Captain..." Pascal's pale eyebrows drew together. "Is there something you wanna say to me? 'cause I am all ears."

"Uh ... Hubert?"

"I fear you have no ally in me on this." The blue-haired man chuckled, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "You may be surprised to learn that living with Pascal is quite tolerable. Regardless, I am quite curious to see what will come of you, now that you have drawn the ire of both sisters."

Malik groaned. "I have a feeling I'm going to be paying for this the rest of the night."

"Don't worry, you silly brute." Fourier stood and crossed the room, reaching up to pinch his cheek before she passed him. "We won't do anything to you. But you _will_ be paying, of course, since you already offered to pay for dinner. But as a warning, I'm quite certain we'll be running up up a very, _very_ high tab at the bar. Since we're celebrating and all." She traded a smile with Pascal. "Isn't that right?"

"Right as rain, Sis!"

Malik released another groan. "I am really going to regret making that offer, aren't I?"


	4. all about us

**author's note: **I'm getting choked up just looking at this document. Notes at the end. Enjoy...

* * *

**futatsu boshi**  
finale - _all about us  
_

* * *

Later in the evening, long after the sun had dipped below the horizon and the stars had begun to twinkle in the sky, Hubert and Pascal sat together on the roof just outside of Pascal's bedroom skylight, hand-in-hand. It was a chilly night, and Hubert had wrapped a blanket around Pascal's shoulders, mostly covering the sleeveless dress she had worn to dinner earlier in the night. Their little group of four had gone first to a restaurant in the western part of the city, then (at Fourier and Malik's urgings) to a local pub with nightly musical performances and a lively bar.

Pascal had shown little interest in drinking over the course of the evening, perhaps because the influence of alcohol had made her act quite foolishly at Asbel and Cheria's wedding, weeks prior... and had caused her not only to be scolded by Hubert, but beaten nearly senseless by the next morning's hangover. Upon the group's arrival at the pub, she'd curled up on a chair beside her fiance and nestled her head against his shoulder, confessing that she had still felt tired and - more importantly - wanted to be alone with him. He had sympathized with her, but at that moment he had been humoring her sister and Malik: they had become involved in a ridiculous argument about who could hold their liquor better, and the two had been in the process of out-drinking the entire bar.

Instead of watching the spectacle at the bar, the engaged couple had remained seated together for nearly two hours, listening to a string trio play music that ranged from classical compositions to more modern music suited for dancing. They'd traded whispers every now and then, still discussing their wedding or speaking simple words of love. Hubert had even indulged in one very long and very public kiss with his fiancee, but only because he'd been sure that no one was watching, at the time.

In the end, Fourier had won the drinking contest when Malik was declared drop-down drunk - and henceforth barred from drinking. The three of them had dragged him out of the pub and worked together to support him on the walk home, which had proven no small feat considering the older Amarcian's similar level of intoxication. They'd arrived back at Hubert and Pascal's home and dumped the tall man on the couch, hoping he would sleep it off. Fourier, meanwhile, had been offered Hubert's bedroom, which she had gladly taken. After ensuring both of them were settled for the evening, Pascal had suggested that they climb to the roof for a while, and Hubert had gladly indulged her. He had, after all, wanted to be alone with her.

They had spent several long moments tangled together under the blanket that now rested on Pascal's shoulders, drawn to each other as if by some kind of irresistable force. Hubert had been glad that none of their neighbors had emerged from their homes, because although their behavior had been (mostly) innocent, he had been certain that the sight of two people kissing on a roof would have been cause for concern. He had finally exhausted his passions after quite some time, and then had decided to rest his tired lips, sitting close by her side with his hand twined together with hers.

The two of them were in the middle of a quiet conversation when they heard a faint noise from within the room below them - a creaking on the ladder. Hubert leaned back to peer through the skylight and saw a shock of white and red hair, and he chuckled, glancing to Pascal before speaking. "Fourier," he began, "you should be in bed."

"It would be foolish to sleep while not completely sober. I have no desire to risk a headache in the morning." The Amarcian climbed the ladder, poking her head through the opening and fixing her sister with a curious expression. "I came up to your room to speak with you, Pascal. Do the two of you always sit on the roof at night?"

"Not always, but we didn't want to stay downstairs and bug you guys." The younger woman smiled. "Wanna sit with us for a bit? It's super nice up here right now."

Fourier sounded reluctant. "I have no desire to interrupt you..."

"Nonsense. Please, sit with us. If anything, the cool air will help you clear your head." Hubert gestured to the open space beside them. "It would not be interrupting. And," he added, chuckling again, "I promise that the roof is more stable than it seems."

"I don't know why I'm agreeing to this." She climbed onto the roof and settled down on Hubert's other side, crossing her legs at the ankle and giving a heavy sigh as she unbound her hair. "But I do have to admit that it _is_ lovely up here," she remarked, allowing a long wave of cream and crimson locks to tumble down her back. "Far nicer than it is inside listening to that oaf snoring on the couch."

Pascal giggled, leaning forward to look at her sister. "You've been working with Captain in Zavhert for a while, haven't you? It seems like you guys have gotten super close."

"Hardly." The older Amarcian rolled her eyes dramatically. "Malik is a troublesome kind of man. When he's not roaming around spying on my work under the guise of reporting new developments to Chancellor Eigen, he's making some other kind of trouble somewhere that_ I_ inevitably have to clean up." She huffed, crossing her arms tight across her chest. "After _you_ decided to run off to Strahta, it fell to the two of us to continue the developments in Fendel. You may be happy to learn that things have been going quite well without you."

"Aw, of course! I knew it would." Pascal smiled brightly. "You can do anything you put your mind to, Sis!"

"If you say so." Fourier sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "There are times when I wish you would return to Fendel, if only so I could have someone else to talk to. But I suppose you are here now for good, aren't you?"

The younger woman giggled again, softly, exchanging a meaningful glance with Hubert. "Yep. Where Hu goes, I go. That's how it's gonna be from now on."

"Yes... I suppose that is how it should be..."

"Sis...?"

"Fourier?" Hubert queried carefully, watching as the Amarcian's golden eyes shifted elsewhere. She didn't respond at first, and he exchanged another glance with Pascal, seeing a worried expression cross his fiancee's face. "Is something the matter?" he tried again, leaning forward. "If there is anything you would like to discuss..."

"It isn't as if I am... unhappy... with your engagement. I promise I am not." The older woman lifted her head, exhaling. "But to some extent, I dreaded this day. My own opinions on love and marriage have been irrevocably destroyed by the influence of my father. I cannot help fearing what might come of my sister, if something were to happen to your relationship..."

"Your ... father?"

"Pascal never told you, did she?" Fourier chuckled, glancing to her sister. "Of course we had a father. We weren't simply created in a lab, as likely as that may seem."

"I never really had a reason to bring any of that up." Pascal gathered her blanket tighter around her shoulders, looking up at the stars that shimmered above their heads. "Hu knows about Mom, sorta, but..."

Hubert looked from one woman to the other, pausing before he spoke. "If this topic makes you uncomfortable, then by all means - "

"No. You should know the truth. After all, if you are to become part of our family, you should know its dreadful secrets." Fourier gave him a wry smile, flipping her hair over one shoulder before resuming her speech. "Marriage is a dreadful topic to me. I recognize my hatred of it as a flaw. However, it is very difficult for me to change my thinking on the subject, if only because of the way it impacted my mother's life."

"... how so?"

"As you may have already guessed, Amarcians approach relationships differently than the rest of the world." Fourier turned her head to speak directly to Hubert, her voice level. "It is not uncommon for a man and woman to live together for many years without choosing to marry. They may even have children outside of wedlock, in some cases. Also, because our population currently consists of more women than men, there are some instances where men may have multiple wives."

"I see." Hubert lifted a hand to his chin. "This would explain why your friend Fermat found no fault with marrying only after learning of her pregnancy."

"Yeah, that's like a totally normal thing in the enclave." Pascal chimed in, nodding. "And since the gender inbalance is getting worse, a ton more girls are moving away to get married to guys in Fendel and stuff."

"Our father and mother were never married." Fourier continued speaking. "Our mother was nothing more than an unwed concubine to one of the men within the enclave. She bore him two children with the hopes of having a son. He was a highly intelligent man, but also irrational." Her pale eyebrows drew together. "He cared little for love, and only hoped to have a male offspring. My mother, meanwhile, had fallen deeply in love with him, and wished only to become his wife."

"Does that mean..." Hubert looked up, blinking at both women. "... you have half-siblings somewhere within the enclave?"

"Thankfully, no." Fourier shook her head. "My mother was my father's only... partner. A few years after Pascal was born, he sought another woman to bear him a child, but was unsuccessful. His actions broke my mother's heart. Shortly thereafter, she was killed in an accident within the laboratory that once existed within the enclave."

"A laboratory within the enclave?"

"So you know how in the Amarcian enclave there's a long windy path with a dead end that just drops off into nowhere?" Pascal seemed unaffected by her sister's story, speaking to Hubert with her usual cheerfulness. "There was once a huge research lab there, about the size of Fourier's. Tons of people worked there in collaboration with Fendel, and even Windor and Strahta. But when I was really little, one of the cryas experiments went way wrong, and the whole building exploded." She glanced back to Fourier. "Our mom was one of the main researchers there. Same with our dad. That's kinda how they met. Same goes for Arn's parents and Poisson's."

"Many people were injured or killed on that day. After the explosion, the laboratory was removed. As you might imagine, there was great resistance to the idea of building a second lab, and as such, my activities were moved to Fendel." Fourier sighed. "Our father was injured, but our mother was killed. The man found himself left alone with two unruly children, and the pressure was apparently too much for him to take."

"Aaaand that's when he ditched us." Pascal chimed in again, laughing as she shook her head. "So we ended up sticking it out with Poisson's aunt and uncle until Fourier was old enough to take care of me on her own. I guess I was about..." She counted on her fingers. "I dunno, maybe six when he left?"

"Seven," the older Amarcian corrected her. "And I was barely nine. Poisson's parents were also killed in the accident, and so we were raised by her side for a number of years by her remaining family. As her mother had been the next planned Overseer, the duty was passed to her daughter instead."

Hubert nodded slowly. "That explains why Poisson seems so familiar with the two of you."

"Yes. She still looks up to Pascal as an older sister, but I fear she doesn't view me in quite the same way. I am like some strange wicked aunt to her." Fourier sighed, rubbing her forehead with one hand before speaking again. "Regardless, it doesn't surprise me that Pascal neglected to mention any of this to you, Hubert. She was too young to remember much of what happened."

"I have a couple memories of my mom, but that's about it." Pascal shifted on the roof to lean into the lieutenant's side, resting her head on his shoulder. "She looked a lot like Fourier does now," she remarked, her voice growing sweet. "And she always smelled really nice... kinda like flowers. She would read me bedtime stories and get me books about inventions and stuff... And she made the best food. I would totally stuff myself on everything she cooked."

"And yet you are such a picky eater now."

"Honestly, though," she continued, ignoring Hubert's remark, "I don't remember anything about my dad. He wasn't around very much, you know? And it's kind of weird to think that he might be out there somewhere, wandering the world or whatever. I mean, what would happen if I just bumped into him one day? Would it be like "hey, dude, I'm your daughter!" and he'd be all like "oh hey Pascal, it's been like eighteen years and I totally regret running off like that!" and then all of a sudden I'd have a dad again?"

"I highly doubt such a thing would happen." Fourier snorted. "Were _I_ to meet the man, I would more than likely beat him senseless for abandoning us at such a young age. His actions placed a great burden on the rest of the enclave."

Pascal laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"All of the times I cursed my father for his so-called abandonment of me..." Hubert bowed his head. "Pascal... you would have had every right to scold me in the same way Asbel did. Yet you never spoke a word of your own father."

"I kinda figured you were being hard enough on yourself about that whole thing, Hu." She sounded sympathetic. "Besides, you know I don't like to talk about that kind of stuff. There's really no point to getting all upset about something that happened in the past."

"I suppose you are right."

"The reason I speak of this is not to stir up any painful memories." Fourier's voice grew stronger. "My mother wished for Pascal to become a sensible woman who would use her vast knowledge and creativity to improve the world. My sister was, from the very beginning, a remarkable child. But she was also carefree and silly. Our father was so concerned with bearing a male offspring that he was unable to see past these qualities. Otherwise, he might have realized that her intelligence was beyond even his, but..." The Amarcian sighed. "Regardless, our mother worried that Pascal's impetuous nature might cause history to repeat itself. Her concern was that love - or some perceived notion of love - would impede her daughter's development. Had my mother not fallen in love with my father, she would have been free to accomplish far greater things."

"Fourier..." Pascal's voice was soft. "Mom was really that worried about me, huh?"

"After she passed away and our father fled, it fell to me to watch over you." The older woman shook her head. "It was a great responsibility. In retrospect, I was far too young to be raising you, even after I willingly withdrew us from Poisson's home. And when you began to leave the enclave, abandoning your studies for weeks on end..." She exhaled. "I worried about you more than I care to admit. The only consolation I had was that you showed no interest whatsoever in men." She paused, turning her eyes to Hubert. "... that is, until you came home talking about "Little Bro" for the first time."

"Ehehe..."

"However, your attachment to Hubert has proven itself beneficial. It has aided not only Strahta, but also the two of you." A smile appeared on her lips. "Even from the few hours that we have spent together, I can tell that many things have changed. You have grown far more sensible in his presence, and he seems much less rigid and stern in yours." She laughed now, her eyes lifting to the sky. "Who might have guessed that a free-spirited Amarcian and a Strahtan military commander would find themselves so compatible? But there is a strange sort of balance between the two of you. In so many ways, it is like the harmony between fire and water. One might think that such a relationship would be impossible, but..."

"Fourier..." Pascal smiled sweetly at her sister. "You really are happy for us, aren't you?"

"Yes, Pascal." Fourier nodded once. "As much as I have grown to hate the idea of marriage, I am truly happy for you. And Mother would have been happy as well. Hubert is exactly the kind of man that she would have chosen for you herself."

"Aw... Sis..."

"Thank you, Fourier." Hubert slid an arm around Pascal's shoulders, certain that his fiancee was on the brink of tears. "Your approval means a great deal to me. I am honored to have the opportunity to become part of your family."

"Yes, well..." The older woman huffed abruptly, turning her head away. "You must promise to come visit me in Fendel sometime. I can't always come to Strahta if I am busy in my lab. And I do _not_ want to find out through rumors that the two of you are having children without preparing me to become an aunt."

"Children?" Hubert and Pascal chorused, looking at each other; then, as they both began to blush, turned their heads away. "O - one thing at a time, Fourier," Pascal said, laughing nervously as she rubbed at her eyes. "We just got engaged! It's waaaay too early to be talking about kids. And as far as I know, I'm not pulling a Fermat or anything, sooo..."

"As far as you know, hmm?" Fourier raised an eyebrow at her sister over the top of Hubert's head. "So the two of you _have_ done it already, haven't you? I should have figured you would pressure the poor boy into such a thing."

"F - F -_ Fourier_!" The younger Amarcian's cheeks grew darker. "Knock it off!"

Hubert reached up to adjust his glasses, clearing his throat. "If I may change the subject..."

"Oh, if you insist on ending my fun..." The older woman waved a hand at him. "Go on."

"The three of us are to become family very soon." He looked from one sister to another, observing identical looks of curiosity appearing on their faces. "I will be gaining both a wife and a sister. I cannot help but feel lucky." He chuckled softly. "But this also means that the two of you will be gaining a brother and sister in Asbel and Cheria, and a mother in Lady Kerri. And it would not be too farfetched to consider Sophie a relative, either."

"So if Sophie is Asbel's daughter, that'll make her my... umm..."

"Your niece, strangely enough." Fourier shook her head at Pascal. "Which means no more touching."

"Awww, she'll be the cutest niece _ever_!" Pascal squealed. "Maybe Asbel will let me buy her presents and put bows in her hair and have sleepovers and stuff - "

"She isn't a child anymore." Hubert interrupted her easily, attempting to hide the smile that had crept onto his mouth. "Regardless... I am very happy that it has come to this point. Each of us stand to gain a great deal from this marriage." He tightened his arm around Pascal's shoulder before looking to Fourier and giving her a nod. "From now on, let us think of each other as family. It will never replace what we have lost, but... perhaps it can help dull some of the pain."

"If I was completely sober, Hubert, I would lecture you for being overly sentimental." Fourier laughed. "But I suppose your words are touching in their own way. I can tell you mean them, at least."

"I do." He nodded again. "And I have no plans to change my thinking. As far as I am concerned, marriage is a lifelong committment. Therefore, we will be siblings for life, you and I." He smiled slightly. "And I must confess to having always wanted a sister."

"That is all the reassurance I need." The Amarcian abruptly rose to her feet, walking carefully back to the opening in the roof. "I'll leave you two alone for the rest of the evening," she called, raising a hand to wave at them. "But please try not to stay up too late. And if you plan on celebrating your engagement, _don't_ be loud about it."

Pascal groaned. "_Sis_..."

Fourier gave them both a sweet smile before gracefully hopping through the skylight to land on the top of the ladder. "Goodnight, children," she called, and they heard the sound of creaking metal as she climbed back down into Pascal's room, followed by a soft click as the door was closed behind her and she, presumably, returned to Hubert's surrendered bed for rest.

The roof was silent for some time after her departure, and it was Pascal who finally spoke, sighing heavily, lifting her head from Hubert's shoulder. "You know, Hu," she murmured, "that was really... nice of you, you know?"

"Hmm?"

"Fourier wasn't kidding when she said our dad messed her up. To be honest, I remember a ton more of him than I would ever tell her. It'd just upset her if I said anything, though..." She folded her hands together in her lap. "He was a total jerk. And the way he acted around us, and then the way she fell for that Navier guy and got rejected... I think it made her kinda... _weird_ around men. It's like she doesn't trust them."

"I could see that." He lifted a hand to gently smooth her hair. "And it is no wonder that her relationship with Captain Malik is so volatile, if that is the case. He can be quite... despicable, at times."

"Actually, I think they get along pretty well. The more Fourier fights with someone, the more she cares about them." She laughed. "But seriously... until she came up here, I think she was having a really tough time with the idea of us getting married. She probably told you all that stuff about our parents just to see how you'd react."

He chuckled. "And I assume I passed her test."

"With flying colors." She leaned up to place a kiss against his temple, giggling quietly into his ear. "You're really somethin', Hu..."

"Likewise." He tightened his arm around her back, letting out a long breath as he felt her lips move to his cheek. "Your sister did make one very astute observation," he remarked. "Many things have changed since we first came together. I can hardly bear to think of the person I used to be."

"Don't be so hard on yourself!" She laced an arm around his neck, her breath warm against his cheek. "You have changed a lot, but so have I. I feel like I'm _way_ less crazy now that I've got a job and all that. And... umm, what was it Fourier said? That I'm like... sensible, now?"

"Yes. That you are far more sensible in my presence."

"Totally accurate." She tilted her head to one side to smile at him. "Except when you're doing something to drive me nuts. Then I might get a _little_ kooky."

"Yes. But that is something I have grown to love about you." He chuckled at this remark before continuing. "Truthfully, I never expected that we might someday find ourselves in this situation." He turned his head away, gazing up at the night sky that hung above them, a navy curtain glittering with bright white stars. "When I first found myself thinking of you, or having feelings for you... my hope then was that they would eventually fade away. I never suspected that they would grow, or lead me to visit you at the Amarcian enclave, or bring you to Strahta with me. But I eventually realized that I had been consumed by a love so strong that I could do nothing but surrender to it." He closed his eyes, lifting a hand to his heart. "This... the love I have for you... is sometimes overwhelming. But I am glad that I stopped running away from it. When I faced it, I found myself happier than I had ever been."

"Hu..."

"I am..." He began, and an unfamiliar sensation burned behind his eyes. He closed them tighter, swallowing, hoping she would not notice. "... very tired," he finished, making his best attempt to keep his voice steady. "Perhaps we should retire to bed."

"Are you..." Pascal's fingertips pressed to his cheeks, and she gently turned his head in her hands. "You're crying?" she asked, softly, and he sighed, allowing the tears to fall as he opened his eyes. It had been a very long time since he had cried, and he felt some embarrassment at this - but he also knew that she would not tease him, because she was undoubtedly feeling the same way. She stared up at him, at first apparently bewildered, but then her own expression crumpled and she threw her arms around his neck. "Awww, Hu," she cried, choking back what sounded like a sob, "I'm happy, too! I'm really, really happy... I mean it..."

He smiled - a true, genuine smile - as he slid his arms around her waist, the blanket falling from her shoulders. "I am very glad to hear you say that," he murmured, pressing his cheek to hers. "And I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are just as happy for the rest of your life, Pascal."

"Stop it, I'm totally gonna bawl..." She sniffed, her arms tightening around him. "I - I'll make you happy too, okay? We'll stay together no matter what, and - and - " She gave a little cry, her body trembling against his own. "Just... promise me we'll be together forever, Hu, okay?"

"I would like nothing more." He drew back, looking down into her tear-filled eyes, and bent to press a kiss to her lips. "Forever," he agreed, and in his heart, Hubert Oswell was sure that he would never make a promise as meaningful as the one he made to Pascal on that night.

* * *

_the end_

* * *

**Author's note: **Wow.

When I first wrote "aitai," I had a feeling I would be writing a series, but I had no idea _this_ would happen. And by this I mean a huge three-part series that started with simple romance and ended with me bawling my eyes out. I'm a total sap, so I cry almost every time I write something emotional, but this particular fic has made me cry more than I ever expected.

I just want to say thanks first to my tumblr pals (you guys know who you are) for their constant encouragement, cheering, feedback, and hilarious gifs. I don't think I can even express how much that kind of support means to me. Secondly, thank you to everyone who is reading this now, here, no matter when "this" time is. I hope you got something out of reading this. I know it's not perfect, and I'll be editing all three fics in secret for a while, but... I'm fine with that.

Finally...

... it really isn't the end. There's going to be more. Try as I might, I'm still not done. I have drabbles to write, and I'm still inspired enough to write them. And you guys want to see the wedding, don't you? And who knows what lies beyond that?

Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thank you for reading. Till next time - _mata ne_!


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